Two teams in the thick of the AFC playoff race will meet on Sunday night when the Indianapolis Colts take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. The game is scheduled to start at 8:30 PM. ET.
The Colts came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations after making it to the AFC Championship Game last season. But so far this season, they haven’t looked like a contender.
The Colts have struggled a lot this season, and most of their struggles have come from the quarterback position, which was unexpected because Andrew Luck is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Hasselbeck has impressed when called upon this season.
A lot of Luck’s struggles this year seem to come from the injuries he has sustained over the course of the season. His injuries have forced him to miss four of the team’s 11 games, including the last two games. It is unclear when he will be healthy enough to start another game, but he told reporters he will be back under center before the end of the season.
Luck’s injuries have forced the Colts to hand over the reins to veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck who continues to amaze fans with the way he is playing at the age of 40.
With Hasselbeck under center, the Colts are 4-0, and are coming off a comeback win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.
At 6-5, the Colts are on top of the AFC South, and in great position to make the playoffs. They are hoping Hasselbeck can continue playing at a high level until Luck returns from injury.
Like the Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers came into the season with high expectations, but they haven’t been able to deliver so far due to injuries and suspensions they have dealt with all season long.
Ben Roethlisberger, who already missed four games due to injury, suffered a concussion last week against the Seattle Seahawks, and his status for this game is still uncertain.
Starting running back LeVeon Bell missed the first two games of the season due to a suspension, and suffered a season ending injury after playing in six games. DeAngelo Williams has played well in his absence, but wasn’t much of a factor in Pittsburgh’s last two games.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will have to figure out how to get Williams more involved in the offense, especially if Roethlisberger can’t play this week.
Offensively, Pittsburgh is still one of the best teams in the league, but the offense isn’t as efficient with Roethlisberger sidelined. If he is unable to go, the Steelers will likely start Landry Jones, who was 1-4 for 34 yards, zero touchdowns and 2 interceptions against the Seattle Seahawks in limited action last week.
A win for the Colts increases their division lead, and a loss for the Steelers will seriously hurt their playoff chances.
Steelers vs Colts Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Steelers favored by 7.5 points. The over/under on the total points scored is 48. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
The Colts have won three straight games, two of which came against teams with winning records, while the Steelers have won two out of their last three, which came against teams that are currently under .500. This means the Colts are playing at a higher level, which is why I’m picking them to cover the spread.
Play: Colts +7.5 @ BetOnline.ag