NFL Week 12 Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers (-10 ½) @ Kansas City Chiefs

Sports Betting Overview

It is correct to have the Steelers be favorites in this game because, logic would suggest, that the Steelers will win this game and by a significant margin. But the Kansas City Chiefs are so hard to figure out this season that almost anything could happen in this game. With quarterback Matt Cassel injured, the Chiefs have turned to the tuft of hair known as Tyler Palko to try and win games. But Palko is not playing the role of able backup. He is unpredictable, undisciplined and makes really bad decisions in the face of just the slightest pressure. In the week 11 loss to the New England Patriots, Palko throw three interceptions without countering with a single touchdown pass. Will we see rookie Ricky Stanzi this week? Considering how bad Palko is playing and the luck that other 2011 rookie quarterbacks have had, we just may see the rookie in week 12.

The price per head sports fans in Pittsburgh have seen the Steelers develop from an unpredictable bunch on offense to a potent offensive unit. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger keeps making up the offense as he goes along, but his adlib solutions are extremely effective. The Pittsburgh running game is helping to spread out the opposing defense and Big Ben is showing the arm strength that everyone was expecting to see. The bookie software is still unsure about the Pittsburgh defense. It looks like the Steelers are having a tough time adjusting to the new rules regarding hitting, but it is making progress.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have become a shell of what it was last season. Running back Thomas Jones has shown that he cannot carry the running game without the injured Jamaal Charles. What was one the most potent running game in football has been completely neutralized. A bodog review of the Chiefs’ 2011 season shows that, without the dominating running game, the Chiefs are not contenders. When you strip away the running game you see that the Chiefs have not made many substantial changes to the rest of the team, and that is causing problems.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The NFL schedule has never been something that has bothered the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the NFL rules committee looked like it had short-circuited a great Pittsburgh defense. But the Pittsburgh defense has rebounded to become the second-best unit in the league. Pittsburgh has a lot of work to do as two losses to Baltimore this season means that the Steelers do not own the tie-breaker over the Ravens as the Steelers did last year. The Steelers need to win the division straight-up, and that won’t be easy.

The Bottom Line

The Steelers will be able to do whatever it wants against this Kansas City Chiefs team. The Chiefs don’t have the defense to stop the adlibbing Ben Roethlisberger, and the Chiefs offense lost all of its punch with the injuries to Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel. The Steelers should not look past this game, but it is a game that Pittsburgh should definitely win.

Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL Week 10 Preview: Tennessee Titans @ Carolina Panthers (-3)

Sports Betting Overview

Cam Newton-mania is reaching a fevered pitch in Carolina, and rightfully so. Newton is a lock to be the offensive rookie of the year, and he gives Carolina an offensive edge that it has never had before. Another thing that Newton offers that the Panthers have never had is a franchise quarterback. Yes, Jake Delhomme took the Panthers to the Super Bowl and had some good years. But most people do not know who Jake Delhomme is. There are a lot of football fans who know who Cam Newton is that have never seen Newton play. Now the Panthers just need to parlay Newton’s abilities into a winning season.

The price per head sports fans in Tennessee were prepared to be patient this season and see if veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck could help bring along rookie Jake Locker and make Locker the new face of the franchise. But, because of the weak team that surrounded him in Seattle, a lot of people forgot that Matt Hasselbeck can still play football. With the collapse of the Indianapolis Colts, the AFC South became an open race. The Texans look like it is in control of the division title, but the Titans can still come around and challenge for the division before the season is over.

Carolina Panthers

The price per head services know that when a defense practices against a quarterback like Cam Newton all week, that defense is bound to get better. The Panthers have the 13^th best pass defense in football. That may not sound like much, but it beats being one of the worst pass defenses in football like the Panthers were last year. Newton makes everyone better, and it won’t be long before the lure of playing with Cam Newton brings some big defensive talent to Carolina. For now, the Panthers should have just enough defense to keep Hasselbeck in check and give the Panthers’ offense a chance to win this game.

Tennessee Titans

Fans in Tennessee are starting to wonder if running back Chris Johnson is a betonline scam. Johnson is one of the highest paid players in the NFL, but yet his production is half of what it was last season. In Johnson’s defense, the run blocking in Tennessee has been awful. Johnson will turn his game around, but the Titans are wondering if it will be in time to help Tennessee make a playoff run. The young Titans’ receivers have been benefiting from Hasselbeck’s influence and it has shown on the football field. But with veteran receivers lost for the season due to injury and a defensive secondary that is having problems stopping the long ball, this could be a long day for the Titans.

The Bottom Line

The NFL scores that the Panthers have been involved in this year do not reflect the impact that Newton has had. The defense let the team down early in the season, but now the defense is making its stand along with Newton. The Panthers may not make the playoffs this season or even go .500, but it is definitely a playoff team in the making.

Pick: Carolina Panthers