Denver Broncos vs Pittsburgh Steelers

The Denver Broncos (3-1) will face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) at Heinz Field for an AFC matchup in week five of NFL action. The Broncos are coming off their first loss of the season 23-7 to the Raven, while the Steelers dropped their third game in a row to the Green Bay Packers in dominating fashion.

MyBookie has the latest lines and odds with the Steelers the slight home favorite -1, and the point total set at 39.5. Let’s dive into this matchup and analyze each team to help you figure out the best bets for Sunday.

NFL Betting Preview for Broncos vs Steelers

Denver Broncos Betting Preview: Can Drew Lock Lead the Broncos to Victory?

The Denver Broncos suffered a major setback when quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went down in the first half with a concussion. The veteran signal-caller has been absolutely stellar for this Broncos team bringing tremendous leadership and consistency to the quarterback position. Bridgewater has thrown five touchdowns in 2021 and hasn’t turned the ball over once.

If Bridgewater can’t go they’ll look to Drew Lock to step in and take over. He didn’t look great as he immediately threw an interception and only completed 57% of his passes.

Be that as it may, the offense has been very balanced so far with the ground game being one of the best in the league. The rushing attack is averaging almost 123 yards per game with a two-headed monster in Melvin Gordan and Javonte Williams. The Broncos will lean on the running game even more and they’ll have a tough matchup against the Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers Team Betting Preview: Is It Time To Move On from Big Ben?

The Steelers might be the most disappointing team so far in 2021. Pittsburgh clearly hasn’t played to their potential and are definitely not like the team that rattled off 11 in a row to start the 2020 season. Much of that blame has fallen on the future hall of fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Mike Tomlin has given no indication the team will make a switch at quarterback, but he should definitely consider it. Big Ben has been one of the worst quarterbacks in 2021, he has led the Steelers to three straight losses and a fifth-worst 36.9 total QBR rating. That being said, his offensive line has been brutal this year, however, it doesn’t change the fact that the offense is ranked 27th in total yards and 29th in total points.

The Steelers defense has kept them in the games so far this year. T.J. Watt is clearly the leader on the defensive side of the ball and he’ll need to rally the defense to come up big and give the offense a chance to win the game. The defensive line has been solid against the run this year, however, their secondary is getting absolutely shredded. They’ll look to improve their 19th ranked pass defense after being carved by Aaron Rogers and the packers.

Broncos vs. Steelers Prediction

Assuming Teddy Bridgewater won’t be able to go, I like the Steelers in this matchup. They will play at the friendly confines of Heinz Field and Big Ben will get the team back on track. Look for the Steelers to continue to feed Najee Harris the ball and for the defense to create turnovers against Drew Lock.

Pick: Pittsburgh -1

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