2012 Week 6 NFL Thursday Night Football Picks: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tennessee Titans Vegas Odds and Predictions – Free NFL Picks 10/11/2012: Not all primetime matchups in the NFL feature elite teams, and Thursday night’s meeting between the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) and Tennessee Titans (1-4) is an example of that. While Pittsburgh has battled injuries on both sides of the ball, the Titans have been just plain bad on both sides of the ball. However, the Steelers have looked bad in their two road games, and they have yet to win away from home this season. That being said, Pittsburgh is still the much better team on paper, and despite the road issues, the Steelers are 5 ½-point favorites at Tennessee.
Offensively, the Steelers have relied mainly on the arm of Ben Roethlisberger thus far to the tune of the 11th-best passing attack in the league. However, starting running back Reshard Mendenhall looked strong in his return from knee surgery last weekend, and Pittsburgh’s offense will have more balance in the coming weeks than it has all season. Tennessee, on the other hand, probably won’t be writing the ship in the near future. Starting quarterback Jake Locker is out until the end of October, and the passing attack was ranked in the middle of the road when he was in anyway. Meanwhile, the Titans rank 30th in the NFL in rushing yards thanks to the continued poor play of running back Chris Johnson.
Sadly, the Titans have been even worse on defense, and they currently ranked 25th against the pass and 28th against the run. Pittsburgh’s defense, meanwhile, has remained solid despite the rash of injuries. In fact, the Steelers rank third against the pass, 11th against the run and fifth in total yards allowed. If there is a weakness for Pittsburgh defense, it has been the unit’s play on the road. In two road games this season, the Steelers have allowed a combined 65 points.
The Steelers Wins If:
With speedy receivers Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace to work with, it is going to be tempting for Pittsburgh to let Roethlisberger throw early and often against the porous Tennessee secondary. However, Mendenhall is back, and the Titans’ run defense is even worse. The Steelers just need to maintain a balanced approach on offense to make sure Roethlisberger stays upright, and they should carve up Tennessee for plenty of points. Defensively, the Steelers just have to limit any big plays from the Titans’ passing attack. Tennessee hasn’t shown the ability to strong together consistent offense all year so as long as Pittsburgh doesn’t allow any cheap scores, this game could turn into a rout.
The Titans Wins If:
Tennessee’s lone win was a 44-41 overtime shootout against Detroit when it scored as pair of special teams touchdowns. The Titans are going to have to get creative again in this one if they want to manufacture enough points to win. With Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu likely out, along with pass rusher LeMarr Woodley, Tennessee needs to take some shots down the field in the passing game. The Titans don’t have enough firepower to employ a conventional game plan and hang with Pittsburgh, but if they hit a few big plays and get an early lead, they have a chance to pull the upset at home.
Bottom Line:
There is nothing like the Tennessee defense to help cure Pittsburgh’s road woes. The Titans have allowed at least 30 points in all five games this season, and with Mendenhall back to power the running game, the Steelers’ offense is going to thrive. Meanwhile, the injured-plagued defense should also benefit from a Tennessee offense that can’t run the ball and has scored 14 points or less four times in five games. The Steelers might be an elite team in the NFL, but the Titans are a bad one. Even with home-field advantage, Tennessee just doesn’t have the talent to compete.
Prediction: Tennessee Titans (-5 ½) Cover the Spread
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tennessee Titans
Line: Pittsburgh -5.5
Total: Over /Under 42.5
Time: 8:30 PM EST on NFL Network
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