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Jaguars Steelers Odds

The Pittsburgh Steelers got off to a rough start this season. Their slow start had many people doubting whether the Steelers were still a Super Bowl contender in the AFC. They answered a lot of questions last week with a big win over Tennessee, and now they’ll look to build off of that victory when the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars come to Pittsburgh in Week 6. The Jaguars have been a thorn in the Steelers’ side in recent years, winning four of the last five meetings. However, Pitt won the last meeting 26-21 on the road in 2008.

According to the latest odds, I find a line of Pittsburgh -12 over Jacksonville with a total set of 40 points.

Pittsburgh

The Steelers have been dominant inside the friendly confines of Heinz Field, but brutal away from it. Pittsburgh (3-2, 2-0 home) committed seven turnovers in a 35-7 loss at Baltimore to open the season, lost at Houston 10-17, and needed a last-second field goal to escape with a victory against winless Indianapolis. In Week 2, the Steelers dominated Seattle 24-0 at home and went on to post a 38-17 home win over Tennessee last week.

Ben Roethlisberger was brilliant against the Titans, throwing five touchdowns passes while putting together his best game of the season. They were dominant despite injuries to several key players, including James Harrison and Rashard Mendenhall, who each watched from the sidelines. Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 107 yards on 11 carries, and Isaac Redman chipped in 49 yards on 15 attempts in place of Mendenhall. The defense held Chris Johnson to just 51 rushing yards, and they’ll need a similar effort this week to slow down Maurice Jones-Drew.

The defense will once again be without Harrison and defensive end Aaron Smith. Nose tackle Casey Hampton and cornerback Bryant McFadden didn’t play last week, either, but each could return Sunday. Mendenhall remains questionable with a hamstring injury, and Isaac Redman is questionable with a leg injury, so Dwyer could have an even bigger role this week. Pittsburgh ranks 12th in total offense (373.6 yards/game) and 2nd in total defense (282.8 yards/game). As you can see, the numbers show that this is still one of the best teams in the league.

Jacksonville

Unfortunately for head coach Jack Del Rio and company, this appears to be yet another rebuilding year in Jacksonville. Del Rio is running out of opportunities, and he’s likely to be replaced either before or at the end of the year. Jacksonville (1-4, 0-2 away) suffered a painful 30-20 home loss to Cincinnati last week. They had several mistakes and bad penalties, including a 22-yard punt from Matt Turk that put the Bengals in position for the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Turk was released Monday.

Rookie Blaine Gabbert has played well at times, but he fumbled a snap late in the Cincinnati game when his team was driving for a tying score. Gabbert is completing just 49.5 percent of his passes this season with a 71.2 passer rating, which ranks 30th in the league. He has thrown for 608 yards and three touchdowns to two interceptions thus far. Gabbert leads a unit that ranks just 31st in the league in total offense (270.6 yards/game).

Maurice Jones-Drew has been a bright spot on this team. He has rushed for at least 84 yards in all five games thus far, and his 476 rushing yards on the season is good for the fourth-best mark in the NFL. This young Jaguars stop unit has also done their part, ranking 8th in the league in total defense (316.4 yards/game). Jacksonville must find a way to solve their road woes as they’ve been outscored 48-13 in losses to the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.

Betting Trends

The Jaguars are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 meetings with the Steelers. The underdog is a perfect 7-0 ATS in the last 7 meetings, and the home team is 15-6 ATS in their last 21 meetings.

The Steelers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games, and 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite. However, Pittsburgh is just 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games as a favorite of 10.5 or greater, and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a win.

The Jaguars are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning record, 1-8 ATS in their last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, and 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.