Passing on Monday Night Football
Baltimore (+10) at Pittsburgh – Sometimes the best handicapping decision you can make is to not play a game. I think that this is such a case. I like Pittsburgh, and I am reasonably confident that they will win, but there is a big difference between winning and winning by 10. Baltimore is just 4-3, but has only lost by more than ten points once. Pittsburgh is 5-2, and they have beaten up on teams this year, but look at their opponents that they have run the score up on – Cleveland, Buffalo, San Francisco, Seattle, Cincinnati. Those are all teams that are either just plain bad or were facing some serious problems when they met the Steelers. Baltimore still has the second best defense in the league (behind Pittsburgh), and they were very effective at containing Pittsburgh last year. It is very possible that Pittsburgh will struggle to score all night. But then they could light it up, too. In short, I would probably lean towards taking Baltimore and the points if I had to, but I don’t see any value in either side, and I will be sitting this one out.
3 Comments
I agree with you on this one too. I am taking the Ravens at +19 but only because I am playing a 10 point teaser. Otherwise I would stay away from this one.
My other picks in the 10 point were Green Bay at +12 and Washington at +6.5. Keep in mind this was a 10 point teaser and yeah I got lucky in the Redskins game. They really disappointed. Their special teams always cost them the game. Given the Jets with a new QB and the Skins coming off a loss and trying to rebound I figured the Skins would win by around 10.
But getting back to your original post, I agree. I would stay away from this game given the regular spread. Pittsburgh is playing good but haven’t been overwhelmingly convincing.
Ok, so my +19 crashed and burned. I knew I was in trouble when it was 14-0 still in the first quarter. Still, I would take the Ravens defense and +19 over most teams in the league. I give props to the Steelers for doing what they had to do. They played good hard football.
At +19 I would have been right there with you on the Ravens, too!