Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings NFL Betting Analysis, Odds & Picks
The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5-1) and Minnesota Vikings (5-7) go head-to-head on Thursday Night Football at U.S Bank Stadium In Minnesota. The kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 P.M EST.
Minnesota has lost two games in a row, including a defeat at the hands of the Detroit Lions last week, which was Detroit’s first victory of the season.
Meanwhile, the Steelers narrowly defeated Baltimore 20-19 in a crucial win. Pittsburgh still finds themselves in postseason contention, but they need to keep winning moving forward. They currently are in third place in the AFC North but are just one game behind second-place Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh will look to keep their playoff hopes alive in Thursday’s matchup against Minnesota.
Betting Analysis for Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings NFL
Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Stats & Analysis
The Steelers win over the Ravens last week established that they have no intention of going down without a fight. Baltimore could have knocked them out of the AFC North playoff picture, but Pittsburgh held on for the victory.
But the huge win over the division rival won’t mean anything if the Steelers cannot continue winning moving forward.
Running back Najee Harris has been a solid fixture for this Pittsburgh offense. The talented back has rushed for 779 yards with five touchdowns. Harris has averaged a ton of carries this season, primarily due to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger dealing with various ailments throughout the year.
He totaled over 100 yards with 71 yards on the ground in last week’s win against the Ravens. He will need to be at the top of his game in Thursday’s matchup.
The aforementioned Roethlisberger has thrown for 2,758 yards and 16 touchdowns. Big Ben has dealt with health issues and is not the same player he once was, but he has proven he is still capable under center.
He was reportedly dealing with a minor shoulder injury at the beginning of this week, but he is expected to play on Thursday.
Although the Steelers have been decent overall in 2021, their stats would indicate otherwise. The team ranks 21st in the NFL in points per game and 21st in points allowed per game. Yet, they still have found a way to win six games and tie one time.
One of Pittsburgh’s greatest strengths is pressuring opposing quarterbacks. They rank first in total sacks with 37. And even when they don’t get the sack, this defense is consistently getting into the backfield and forcing quarterbacks out of the pocket.
Minnesota Vikings Betting Stats & Analysis
Minnesota’s playoff chances are incredibly slim. Technically, the wild card is a possibility, but they would practically need to win out. First, they have to get past the Steelers on Thursday.
Their fate may be decided by the availability of star running back Dalvin Cook. A shoulder injury forced Cook to miss last week, but he is listed as questionable and is expected to be a game-time decision on Thursday.
Cook has been hampered by injuries all year. But when he has been on the field, he has been very effective. Cook has rushed for 773 yards and four touchdowns in limited action.
Many people have failed to recognize that Kirk Cousins has actually played well in 2021. Cousins has been somewhat of an afterthought at the quarterback position over the past couple of years, but he has been surprisingly impressive this season.
Cousins has thrown for over 3,350 yards to go along with 25 touchdowns. What stands out even further is that Cousins has only tossed three interceptions. Minnesota will gladly take a 25 to 3 touchdown to interception ratio from their starting QB.
Wide Receiver Justin Jefferson has been a vital part of Cousin’s success. The star wideout has eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark, with 1,209 receiving yards entering Thursday. He has also caught seven touchdown passes.
The Vikings offense ranks 11th in points per game. However, they are just 25th in points surrendered per game.
They will unquestionably rely on their offense to lead them to victory once again in this matchup.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings NFL Betting Trends
The Steelers are 5-7 ATS this season. They are 2-3 ATS on the road. Pittsburgh is 4-1 in their past five contests against the Vikings.
Minnesota is 6-6 ATS in 2021. They are 4-3 ATS at home this season. The Vikings are just 2-4 over their last six games.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings NFL Betting Odds
Betonline has the Vikings as 3.5-point favorites entering Thursday. BetUS also lists Minnesota as a 3.5-point favorite against the Steelers at home.
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How To Bet On: Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings NFL – Betting lines
The Steelers are in a must-win situation, and Mike Tomlin is going to pull out all of the stops necessary to earn the road victory on Thursday. Couple that with the uncertainty of Dalvin Cook’s health, and before you know it, you are looking at a potential upset.
The Vikings are on a two-game losing streak while Pittsburgh is coming off arguably their best win of the season against a first-place team in the Ravens.
The odds listed above favor Minnesota mainly because they are the home team. It is absolutely possible that the home-field advantage pushes them over the edge, and they end up with the win.
But I am taking the underdog and rolling with the Steelers to emerge victorious in this Thursday Night Football game.
OBS Betting Picks for Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings NFL
Take the Steelers -2.5.
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