Thursday Night Football Prediciton: Expect a Low-Scoring Battle on TNF
The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers will meet in a battle of backup quarterbacks on Thursday Night Football. Joey Ruiz is anticipating a low-scoring battle between the AFC squads, and provides his best bet for Patriots vs. Steelers on TNF.
Joey Ruiz - December 7, 2023, 4:53 PM EST
5 minThursday Night Football Prediciton: Expect a Low-Scoring Battle on TNF
We have one of the more lackluster primetime matchups in the NFL this season between the lowly Patriots, and the Steelers, who will be without their starting quarterback. Where is the edge tonight? Let’s break it down.
Patriots vs. Steelers Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: December 7, 2023
- Game Time: 8:15 pm ET
- Where to Watch: Prime Video
Patriots vs. Steelers Odds
- Spread: Patriots +6 (-110), Steelers -6 (+100)
- Total Odds: O 35 (+175), U 35 (-110)
- Moneyline Odds: Patriots (+215), Steelers (-250)
New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Prediction
The Patriots have been one of the laughingstocks of the NFL this season as this has been one of their worst seasons in the last 30+ years. Over the last three games, the patriots have been one of the first teams in NFL history to allow 10 points or less in three straight games while losing all three games.
Last week against the Chargers, the Patriots defense played incredible as they only allowed six total points to Justin Herbert and that high power chargers offense, and yet they still lost and failed to cover as they could not put up a single point as they were shut out at home. Now they are tasked with traveling to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers defense who is one of the best defenses in the league, especially when playing at home.
The Patriots plan on starting Bailey Zappe at quarterback tonight, and to be honest they could start him or Mac Jones, and they still would likely put up the same offensive output, as neither quarterback has been able to put up a ton of production this season.
Part of the Patriots' issues this season have been a lack of depth and talent at the receiver position, as they simply do not have many guys on the outside who can make plays consistently. We have seen with the Chiefs this year how important a competent receiver group can be and the Patriots have one of the worst receiving cores in the entire league this season on top of poor quarterback play from both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
On the other side, the Steelers will be without Kenny Pickett for this game as he is dealing with an injury, which means Mitch Trubisky will get the start. The Steelers offense looked lost last week against the Cardinals defense, who had been very very weak up until that point. The Steelers were only able to score 10 points at home against a Cardinals defense who could barely stop the run in weeks prior, but looked like world beaters against Pittsburgh’s offense. Maybe Matt Canada wasn’t the only issue with the Steelers offense, and they simply have a lack of talent on that side of the ball.
Regardless, this matchup tonight is between two of the worst offenses in the NFL, but two of the best defenses in the NFL, especially as of late, as the Patriots defense has actually been a top five group over the last month. With that being said, I am rolling with the full game Under 30.5 at -115 for 1.5 units as my most confident NFL play of the day, as I do not think either of these teams will be able to move the ball consistently. There may be a lot of field goals but I do not see either of these backup quarterbacks moving the ball consistently and finishing drives with touchdowns tonight.
New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Pick
Pick: Patriots/Steelers Under 30.5 -110 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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NFL Odds
