Sunday, January 22, 2017
Gillette Stadium
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The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Gillette Stadium to play the New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC Championship. The opening line for this game has New England as 4.5 point favorites and the over/under was set at 51.5. The Steelers are 11-7-0 against the spread and their over/under record is 6-12-0. The Patriots have an over/under record of 7-10-0 and they are 14-3-0 against the spread.
Ben Roethlisberger finished with 224 yards through the air for Pittsburgh in their 18-16 win over Kansas City. He completed 20 passes out of 31 attempts for a 65% completion percentage. The Steelers were led in rushing by Le'Veon Bell, who finished with 170 yards on 30 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 6 yards per carry. Antonio Brown was the team leader in receiving with a total of 108 yards and 6 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 18 yards per reception. As a team in that game Pittsburgh got a total of 20 first downs. Of those first downs, 8 came on the ground while 10 came through the air. They ran 66 total plays for 389 yards for the game. The Steelers ran for 171 yards on 34 attempts.
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Tom Brady finished with 287 yards passing for New England in their 34-16 win over Houston. He went 18 for 38, resulting in a 47% completion percentage. The Patriots were led on the ground by Dion Lewis, who finished with 41 yards on 13 carries. He ended the game with an average of 3 yards per rush. Julian Edelman led the team in receiving with 137 yards and 8 catches. He finished the game with an average of 17 yards per reception. New England had 20 first downs total. 6 came from running the ball and 12 came from a pass. They ran 67 total plays for 377 yards for the contest. The Patriots ran for 98 yards on 27 carries as a team.
Pittsburgh scores 25 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 10th in the NFL. In the passing department, they average 24 passes on 37 attempts for a 65% completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 263 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 8th in the league. The Steelers run for an average of 110 yards per game on 26 attempts for an average of 4.2 yards per carry. That ranks them 13th in the league. They also run 64 plays per contest and average 5.8 yards per play for an average of 373 yards per game, ranking their offense 7th overall this season. The Steelers average 21 first downs per game which ranks them 9th in the NFL. They accumulate 66.8 penalty yards per game via 7 penalties, which ranks 3rd in the league.
Pittsburgh allows 243 passing yards per game, ranking 16th, and they allow 20 points per contest on defense, which ranks 10th. They give up 24 completions on 37 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 65%. The Steelers allow 100 rushing yards per game on 23 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 12th in the NFL. Pittsburgh allows 343 total yards per game including 5.5 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 12th in terms of yards per game. They get flagged for 6.8 penalties for 57.5 yards per game, ranking them 16th among NFL teams.
New England averages 28 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 3rd in the league. In the passing department, they complete 23 passes per game on 34 attempts for a 68% completion percentage. They throw for 269 yards through the air per game, ranking them 4th. The Patriots run for an average of 117 yards per game on 30 attempts for an average of 3.9 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 7th on the ground. They also run 66 plays per game and average 5.8 yards per play for a total of 386 yards per game, ranking them 4th in the league on offense. The Patriots get an average of 22 first downs per game, which ranks 5th. They average 51.2 penalty yards per game via 5.8 penalties, ranking them 27th in the NFL.
New England allows an average of 238 passing yards per game, which ranks 12th in the league. Their defense overall allows 16 points per contest, which has them ranked 1st. They give up 23 completions on 37 attempts for a completion percentage of 62% per game. The Patriots allow 89 rushing yards per contest on 23 carries for a 3.9 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 3rd in the NFL. New England allows 326 total yards per game for an average of 5.2 yards per play, which ranks 8th in the league. They force 7.1 penalties for 58.1 yards in each contest, ranking 11th.
Pittsburgh Betting Trends
Pittsburgh is 6-12-0 against the over/under this season
Pittsburgh has an ATS record of 11-7-0 this season
New England Betting Trends
New England is 7-10-0 against the over/under this season
New England has an ATS record of 14-3-0 this season
Injuries to Watch
Pittsburgh
12/28/16 S Shamarko Thomas Knee IR
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
01/15/17 LB Anthony Chickillo Ankle "?" Sunday vs. New England
01/15/17 RB Fitzgerald Toussaint Concussion "?" Sunday vs. New England
01/15/17 TE Ladarius Green Concussion "?" Sunday vs. New England
01/15/17 DE Ricardo Mathews Ankle "?" Sunday vs. New England
New England
12/04/16 TE Rob Gronkowski Back IR
10/15/16 LB Jonathan Freeny Shoulder IR
01/15/17 WR Chris Hogan Thigh injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
01/15/17 WR Malcolm Mitchell Knee "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
01/15/17 TE Martellus Bennett Knee injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
Guy's Pick: Take New England -4.5
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