Sunday, January 1, 2017

Heinz Field

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The Cleveland Browns travel to Heinz Field to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, January 1, 2017. The opening line for this game has Pittsburgh as 11 point favorites and the over/under was set at 45.5. The Browns are 3-12-0 against the spread and their over/under record is 7-8-0. The Steelers have an over/under record of 5-10-0 and they are 9-6-0 against the spread.

Robert Griffin III finished with 164 yards through the air for Cleveland last week. He completed 17 passes out of 25 attempts for a 68% completion percentage. The Browns were led in rushing by Isaiah Crowell, who finished with 54 yards on 16 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 3 yards per carry. Gary Barnidge was the team leader in receiving with a total of 42 yards and 5 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 8 yards per reception. As a team in that game Cleveland got a total of 23 first downs. Of those first downs, 8 came on the ground while 10 came through the air. They ran 66 total plays for 251 yards for the game. The Browns ran for 124 yards on 29 attempts.

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Ben Roethlisberger finished with 279 yards passing for Pittsburgh last week. He went 24 for 33, resulting in a 73% completion percentage. The Steelers were led on the ground by Le'Veon Bell, who finished with 122 yards on 20 carries. He ended the game with an average of 6 yards per rush. Antonio Brown led the team in receiving with 96 yards and 10 catches. He finished the game with an average of 10 yards per reception. Pittsburgh had 23 first downs total. 9 came from running the ball and 12 came from a pass. They ran 55 total plays for 406 yards for the contest. The Steelers ran for 127 yards on 22 carries as a team.

Cleveland scores 16 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 31st in the NFL. In the passing department, they average 21 passes on 35 attempts for a 60% completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 204 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 28th in the league. The Browns run for an average of 99 yards per game on 21 attempts for an average of 4.7 yards per carry. That ranks them 24th in the league. They also run 60 plays per contest and average 5.1 yards per play for an average of 303 yards per game, ranking their offense 31st overall this season. The Browns average 18 first downs per game which ranks them 31st in the NFL. They accumulate 46.6 penalty yards per game via 6 penalties, which ranks 28th in the league.

Cleveland allows 250 passing yards per game, ranking 21st, and they allow 28 points per contest on defense, which ranks 31st. They give up 22 completions on 34 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 65%. The Browns allow 148 rushing yards per game on 31 carries for an average of 4.8 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 31st in the NFL. Cleveland allows 398 total yards per game including 6 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 31st in terms of yards per game. They get flagged for 6.3 penalties for 59.1 yards per game, ranking them 10th among NFL teams.

Pittsburgh averages 25 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 12th in the league. In the passing department, they complete 24 passes per game on 37 attempts for a 65% completion percentage. They throw for 264 yards through the air per game, ranking them 5th. The Steelers run for an average of 113 yards per game on 25 attempts for an average of 4.5 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 11th on the ground. They also run 64 plays per game and average 5.9 yards per play for a total of 377 yards per game, ranking them 7th in the league on offense. The Steelers get an average of 21 first downs per game, which ranks 10th. They average 68.3 penalty yards per game via 6.9 penalties, ranking them 19th in the NFL.

Pittsburgh allows an average of 245 passing yards per game, which ranks 15th in the league. Their defense overall allows 20 points per contest, which has them ranked 9th. They give up 23 completions on 37 attempts for a completion percentage of 62% per game. The Steelers allow 91 rushing yards per contest on 22 carries for a 4.1 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 5th in the NFL. Pittsburgh allows 336 total yards per game for an average of 5.5 yards per play, which ranks 9th in the league. They force 6.9 penalties for 58.9 yards in each contest, ranking 16th.

Cleveland Betting Trends

Cleveland is 7-8-0 against the over/under this season

Cleveland has an ATS record of 3-12-0 this season

Pittsburgh Betting Trends

Pittsburgh is 5-10-0 against the over/under this season

Pittsburgh has an ATS record of 9-6-0 this season

Injuries to Watch

Cleveland

12/27/16 RB Duke Johnson Jr. Ankle injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
12/25/16 DB Joe Haden Neck injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
12/25/16 QB Robert Griffin III Concussion injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
12/15/16 OL Alvin Bailey Suspension expected to miss 2 games
11/30/16 OL John Greco Foot IR
10/17/16 DB Jordan Poyer Kidney IR
10/14/16 OL Joel Bitonio Foot IR
10/12/16 C Austin Reiter ACL IR
09/29/16 WR Josh Gordon Personal out for season
09/24/16 K Patrick Murray Knee IR
09/02/16 DL Desmond Bryant Pectoral IR

Pittsburgh

12/25/16 TE Ladarius Green Concussion "?" Sunday vs. Cleveland
12/25/16 WR Sammie Coates Hamstring "?" Sunday vs. Cleveland
12/25/16 S Shamarko Thomas Knee "?" Sunday vs. Cleveland
12/25/16 DE Stephon Tuitt Knee "?" Sunday vs. Cleveland
11/19/16 DE Cameron Heyward Pectoral IR
11/19/16 WR Markus Wheaton Shoulder IR
11/15/16 LB Steven Johnson Ankle IR
11/08/16 C Cody Wallace Knee IR
10/08/16 T Ryan Harris Shin IR
10/08/16 CB Senquez Golson Foot IR
08/17/16 QB Bruce Gradkowski Hamstring IR
08/11/16 WR Martavis Bryant Suspension out for season

Guy's Pick: Take Pittsburgh -11

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