Betting Picks

Week 8: Pittsburgh at Detroit SNF NFL Betting Preview and Pick

Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions only play in the regular season once every four years with how the NFL’s schedule is currently set up. These clubs have each been around for more than 80 years, though, so one would think they had played previously in a primetime game, right?

Wrong. Sunday night’s matchup from Ford Field will be a first in the history of the series. The Steelers are 3-point favorites on the NFL betting lines.

These flagship franchises have combined for eight Super Bowl appearances and six Super Bowl wins. Sounds impressive until you realize all of those are on Pittsburgh’s ledger. The Lions, Browns, Texans and Jaguars are the four current teams to have never reached a Super Bowl. Detroit remarkably hasn’t won its own division since 1993 or a playoff game since 1991. That was the year of its only NFC Championship Game appearance, a 41-10 loss to Washington.

It’s not impossible the Steelers and Lions meet in Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis. Both were playoff teams in 2016. Pittsburgh (5-2) already essentially has a three-game lead in the AFC North thanks to wins over division rivals Baltimore and Cincinnati. The Steelers have been a bit inconsistent, however, nearly losing Week 1 at terrible Cleveland, being upset Week 3 in Chicago and getting embarrassed 30-9 at home by Jacksonville in Week 5.

Future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger threw a career-high five picks in that Jaguars loss and afterward hinted he might not have it any longer. Pittsburgh has handled then-unbeaten Kansas City and Cincinnati since. Roethlisberger was solid enough in those victories, but the clear focal point of the offense now is running back Le’Veon Bell.

Bell carried 35 times for 134 yards with three catches for 58 yards in the win over the Bengals and had 32 carries for 179 yards and a TD with three catches for 12 yards vs. the Chiefs. He’s simply the best all-around running back in the NFL and going to get paid big time this offseason either as a free agent or being franchise tagged again by the Steelers.

There is one distraction the Steelers are having to deal with and that has been the trade demands of former No. 2 receiver Martavis Bryant. He’s basically upset that rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster has cut into his playing time. Bryant should consider himself lucky he’s even playing in the NFL as he has been suspended twice, including all of the 2016 season, for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.

The Lions (3-3) have a realistic shot of winning the NFC North division title with the likely season-ending injury to Green Bay star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The NFC North likely will come down to Minnesota (5-2) or Detroit, and the Lions already have a win vs. the Vikings.

Detroit comes off its bye week, which arrived at a good time as the team was beaten up physically – especially QB Matthew Stafford – and off back-to-back losses vs. Carolina and at New Orleans. However, top receiver Golden Tate still won’t play vs. Pittsburgh after injuring his shoulder in Week 6.

This could be a mini-letdown game for the Steelers, while Detroit is rested and has covered its past five out of a bye. Take the Lions.