In his first start back from a knee sprain, Ben Roethlisberger lost his best running back to a season-ending injury. (Getty)
Editor’s note: The odds below are courtesy of Heavy’s partners at OddsShark. Click here for more odds and betting info at OddsShark.com.
The Oakland Raiders are back over .500 for the season, but face a tough road test Sunday when they head cross-country for a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Steelers. Despite their recent success the Raiders are getting no love from Vegas, and opened as a 4.5-point underdog according to OddsShark.com.
While the dominant storyline heading into Week 9 could be about the rapid improvement of Raiders QB Derek Carr, it’s unlikely he’ll be focus. Instead it’ll be the injury to Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell, who was arguably the Steelers best player through the first half of the season. Bell is gone for the year with a torn MCL, and DeAngelo Williams will be the taking handoffs from now on.
While injuries have plagued the Steelers offense, their defense continues to improve. The total has gone under in Pittsburgh’s last five games, and their defense is ranked sixth in points allowed. Oddly enough, the Raiders have won four of the last five meetings against Pittsburgh, dating back to 2006.
Here’s a look at all the betting info for this matchup, courtesy of OddsShark.com:
Game Info
At age 39, Charles Woodson might be having his best NFL season yet. (Getty)
Line: Pittsburgh (-4.5)
Moneyline: Oakland (+200), Pittsburgh (-250)
Over/Under: 47.5
Trend to Know: Oakland is 3-20 Straight Up in their last 23 road games