The Buffalo Bills are becoming an offensive-minded team, but that approach will be tested when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a showdown between two of the AFC's top teams on Sunday Night Football. Quarterback Josh Allen has emerged as an MVP candidate and has the Bills (9-3) sitting atop the AFC East standings, and they have won five of their past six games. The Steelers (11-1) suffered their first loss Monday against Washington, but they still have an elite defense that will present a serious challenge for Allen and the Bills.
Kickoff from Bills Stadium is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Buffalo is a two-point favorite in the latest Bills vs. Steelers odds, and the over-under for total points scored is 48.5 at William Hill Sportsbook. Before making any Steelers vs. Bills picks or NFL predictions for Sunday Night Football, you need to see what SportsLine's Hammerin' Hank Goldberg has to say.
A beloved national treasure, Hammer enters Week 14 on an extended heater: Over the final 10 weeks of last season and through 13 weeks this season, he is an incredible 43-25 on his NFL best bets, an amazing 63.2 percent cash rate. Hammer, who has inside sources throughout the league, knows the Bills especially well. In fact, he is a sparkling 13-6 in his last 19 against-the-spread picks involving Buffalo.
This is the same handicapper who enjoyed 15 winning seasons in his 17-year ESPN run. In 2017, Hammer competed against 10 top handicappers in the Las Vegas Review-Journal's NFL Challenge and beat them all, finishing 50-29-6 on NFL picks against-the-spread. Anybody who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hammer has zeroed in on Bills vs. Steelers and locked in another confident against-the-spread pick. You can see it only at SportsLine. Here are several NFL odds and betting trends for Bills vs. Steelers:
- Bills vs. Steelers spread: Buffalo -2
- Bills vs. Steelers Over-Under: 48.5 points
- Bills vs. Steelers money line: Buffalo -150, Steelers +130
- BUF: QB Josh Allen is tied for sixth in the NFL in touchdown passes (six)
- PIT: T.J. Watt leads the league in sacks (12)
Why the Bills can cover
Buffalo has a deep receiving corps. Wide receiver Cole Beasley had a career-high 130 receiving yards last week in his 130th career game. Beasley enters Sunday night's showdown having recorded 66 receptions for 797 yards and four touchdowns this season. Meanwhile, Stefon Diggs is the first Bills player with 90 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in a season since Eric Moulds in 2002. Allen has completed 80.5 percent of his passes when targeting Beasley and 74.4 percent when targeting Diggs.
In addition, Buffalo's running game, while not dominant, is effective when it needs to be. The Bills average just 4.0 yards per rush, which is 22nd in the league, but 30.6 percent of their carries result in a first down. That is the highest percentage in the NFL.
Why the Steelers can cover
T.J. Watt is a disruptive force who is having a NFL Defensive Player of the Year-type season. Pittsburgh's relentless defensive playmaker leads the league in sacks (12), QB hits (37) and tackles for loss (19) and ranks second in pressures (64). His 37 hits are 13 more than any other player and already the most by any Steelers player in the past 15 seasons.
In addition, Pittsburgh faces a Bills pass defense that has been beatable this season. The Bills allow 249.5 passing yards per game, which ranks 20th in the league. The Bills also give up 7.44 yards per attempt, which is 25th in the NFL. That bodes well for the Steelers, who average 252.3 passing yards per game this season.
How to make Bills vs. Steelers picks
Goldberg is leaning Over the total, but his much stronger play is on the spread. In fact, he's found a critical x-factor that makes one side of the spread hit hard on Sunday. He's sharing what it is, and who to back, only at SportsLine.
So who wins Steelers vs. Bills on Sunday Night Football? And what critical factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Steelers vs. Bills spread you should jump on, all from the legendary handicapper who's 13-6 on picks involving Buffalo.
