Steelers vs. Bucs Total Prediction
Oddsmakers have set tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup in the mid-50s when the Pittsburgh Steelers clash with the Tampa Bay Bucs at 8:15 p.m. ET. Is the over a safe bet?
Game Snapshot
489 Pittsburgh Steelers at 490 Tampa Bay Bucs
8:15 p.m. ET, Monday, September 24
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Bucs are 1-point favorites to beat the Steelers. The total, meanwhile, sits at 54 points. As of this writing, 60% of the public betting tickets are on the Bucs to cover the point spread.
Pittsburgh Steelers
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Steelers are now listening to trade offers for holdout RB Le’Veon Bell. They’re satisfied with what James Conner has given the offense through two games and are looking to move on from the Bell situation, which has caused major off-field distractions. Bell has shown no intention of wanting to play anytime soon, seemingly more concerned with his musical career than football during the prolonged holdout. Any team interested in trading for Le’Veon would almost certainly want to work out a long-term deal before the move is made, and that creates several different obstacles to work around, including Bell’s suspension and injury histories in addition to what’s left of his commitment to playing football.
Tampa Bay Bucs
Ryan Fitzpatrick was removed from the Week 3 injury report. The Bucs listed Fitzpatrick with a knee injury earlier in the week, but he practiced fully. Fitzpatrick is our No. 9-ranked quarterback for Monday night’s matchup with the Steelers.
NFL Betting Trends
Pittsburgh
The over is 4-0 in the Steelers’ last four games overall.
Tampa Bay
In the Bucs’ last 12 home games, the under is 9-3.
Prediction
Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown for 400 yards and four touchdowns in each of his first two games. He’s also averaging over 13.0 yards per pass attempt, which is incredible. Even if he regresses back to the mean tonight, he’s playing with house money and leading a Tampa Bay offense with a ton of explosiveness on the outside against a Pittsburgh defense that has looked overmatched since linebacker Ryan Shazier went down with his spinal injury last December.
Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger has struggled on the road but he should take advantage of a Bucs defense that doesn’t generate much of a pass rush and is banged-up in the secondary. Even without Le’Veon Bell, this Steelers offense has looked good, out-gaining the Browns and Chiefs in consecutive weeks. This game should live up to its shootout potential.
NFL Week 3 Prediction: Steelers/Bucs over 54