Steelers vs. Cardinals Week 14 Prediction
The 7-5 Steelers are coming off an emotional win over the Browns last week but still need to pile up victories if they’re going to earn a playoff berth in the AFC. Is their matchup with the Cardinals a trap game for bettors today at 4:25 p.m. ET?
Game Snapshot
153 Pittsburgh Steelers (-2) at 154 Arizona Cardinals (+2); O/U 43.5
4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 8
University of Phoenix Stadium, Arizona
Public Betting Trends
According to our NFL Football Public Betting Chart page, the Steelers are receiving 63% of the betting tickets from online sportsbooks.
Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Spin
JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) is out for Week 14 against the Cardinals. Smith-Schuster has been removed from the concussion protocol but has been severely limited by his knee injury. The Steelers will continue utilizing James Washington and Diontae Johnson as the primary targets. Both receivers have friendly draws against a bad Arizona defense. James Conner was also officially ruled out for Week 14.
Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Spin
Larry Fitzgerald caught 6-of-7 targets for 56 yards in the Cardinals’ Week 13 loss to the Rams. Fitzgerald ended up leading the team in all receiving categories, which summarizes how awful the offense looked this week. The veteran slot receiver only has three touchdowns this season and hasn’t eclipsed 75 yards since Week 2. Fitzgerald just doesn’t have enough juice left to reach a ceiling, rendering him a low-floor flex play in good matchups. The Cardinals host the Steelers next week.
NFL Betting Trends
Pittsburgh
The Steelers are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games overall but are just 1-3-1 against the number in their last five games as a road favorite.
Arizona
The Cardinals are 5-2-1 against the number in their last eight games overall and are 8-3-1 against the spread in their last 12 games as an underdog.
Prediction
This is a good spot to fade the public and back the home dog. Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers always get up for games like last Sunday versus the Browns. They were embarrassed two weeks prior in Cleveland and were seeking revenge, got it, and now are in a letdown spot versus an Arizona team that was blown out last week at home by the Rams. While I wish the line for this game didn’t drop from 5.5 all the way down to 2, I’m still going to risk it with the Cardinals. The Steelers pass rush will be an issue for Kyler Murray but Pittsburgh’s offense is very limited. Devlin “Duck” Hodges is a better option that Mason Rudolph under center, but he’s still just a game manager. There have been several times when the Cardinals have played up to their competition this season, including in covers/victories over the Ravens, Falcons and 49ers.
NFL Week 14 Prediction: Arizona Cardinals +2