NFL Picks Week 6: Steelers vs Chargers

Devlin Hodges and the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday where they'll meet the Los Angeles Chargers. Pittsburgh opens this matchup as 4.5-point underdogs. The total has been set at 43.5. The Steelers are 1-4-0 ATS and 2-3-0 when betting on the total. The Chargers are 1-4-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-3-0 against the spread.

The last time they played, the Pittsburgh Steelers went up against the Baltimore Ravens and lost 26-23. Running the show from under center for the Steelers was Mason Rudolph who went 13/20 with 131 yards passing and tossed 1 touchdown. He walked away with no picks. James Conner paced the team in rushing during the game. He tore off a long run of 12 yards and he notched 1 TD for the game. He scurried for 55 yards on 14 carries which meant he averaged 3.9 yards per tote. JuJu Smith-Schuster was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 75 yards on 7 receptions. He earned an average of 10.7 yards per catch during the game. The Pittsburgh Steelers ran the football 19 times and totaled 77 yards which gave them an average of 4.1 yards per attempt. On the day, the Steelers totaled 18 first downs and they totaled 11 infractions for 76 yards. For the game, they ran 51 plays for 269 yards. When discussing the defense, Pittsburgh conceded 19 completions on 28 attempts totaling 139 yards, and a completion percentage of 68.0%. In the running game, the Steelers conceded 138 yards on 40 carries which gave them an average of 3.5 yards per rushing attempt allowed. For this contest, they allowed a total of 277 yards and forced 3 turnovers. Another prediction you may want to look into is the NFL pick from Guy Bruhn on the Panthers vs Bucs contest.

Steelers Go to 1-4 After Loss

The Steelers come into this game with a record of 1-4 for the 2019 season. They are a team that struggles to put points on the board among AFC North teams and they will need to step up if they want to have a good offensive output. For total yardage, they currently sit at 14th among AFC teams and 29th in the NFL with 1,403 yards. When it comes to getting in the endzone, the Steelers have compiled a total of 7 passing TDs and 3 rushing TDs. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the league with an average of 20 points per contest, putting them 22nd in the NFL. As a unit, they have an average of 67 rushing yards per contest which is 3rd among AFC teams.

The Steelers have one of the average defenses in the NFL, allowing 22.8 points per contest ranking them 8th in the conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Steelers have conceded 1,149 yards. Opponents are completing 69.2% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 6.1 yards per attempt. They have conceded 8 passing TDs and 4 rushing TDs. In regard to rushing yards, Pittsburgh is allowing 125.8 yards per game ranking them 2nd among AFC North teams and 21st in the NFL. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3.9 yards per rush putting them 3rd among AFC teams and 9th in the NFL overall. Overall, they have conceded 335 yards rushing through 5 contests.

In their last contest, the Los Angeles Chargers took on the Denver Broncos and were defeated 20-13. Melvin Gordon led the team on the ground for that game. He had a long run of 7 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He rushed for a total of 31 yards on 12 carries which meant he was running for 2.6 yards per run. Austin Ekeler was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 86 yards on 15 catches. He earned an average of 5.7 yards per catch for that game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Chargers was Philip Rivers who went 32/48 with 211 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away with 2 picks during the game. See where the Chargers rank in our Week 6 NFL power rankings. The Los Angeles Chargers ran the football 16 times and added 35 yards which had them averaging 2.2 yards per attempt. For the contest, the Chargers racked up 19 first downs and they had 4 infractions for 43 yards. For the game, they ran 64 plays for 246 yards. When discussing the defense, Los Angeles gave up 14 catches on 20 throws totaling 159 yards, and a completion percentage of 70.0%. On the day, they conceded 350 yards and forced 2 turnovers. Against the run, the Chargers gave up 191 yards on 32 tries which gave them an average of 6.0 yards per run allowed.

Chargers are Now 2-3 After Loss

The Chargers come into this game with a record of 2-3. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Chargers have one of the most lackluster offenses in the NFL. When talking about the points that are being put on the board, the Chargers are currently ranked 2nd among AFC West teams and 18th out of all the teams in the league averaging 20.6 points per game. Los Angeles needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 90 yards on the ground per contest, ranking them 24th in the NFL. As a team, they have a total of 449 rushing yards through 5 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Chargers average 372 yards per contest overall ranking them 13th among NFL teams and 7th in the AFC.

The Chargers are allowing 18.8 points per game which puts them at 1st in the division and 9th in the league. Their passing defense is one of the mediocre groups among NFL teams. They are conceding 215 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Chargers are ranked 5th in the AFC. They have allowed 9 passing touchdowns for the 2019 season. In discussing points given up, they have given up 94 points in total. In discussing yards rushing, they are allowing 120 yards per contest ranking them 18th in the league and 2nd among AFC West teams. For this year, they have given up 599 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Steelers/Chargers NFL game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Steelers +4.5

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink