Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans: NFL Thursday Night Betting Preview and Predictions

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans
Thursday, 10/11/12, 8:20 PM EST, TV: NFL Network
Opening Point Spread: Pittsburgh -6
Current Betting Line: Pittsburgh -5.5
Opening Total: 44
Current Total: 42
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Titans Jaguars NFL Preview — Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson hasn’t been very good in the early going this year

Pittsburgh has alternated wins and losses over its first four games, as it comes off a 16-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles as four-point home favorites, which immediately followed the team’s bye week. The Steelers may rank fifth in the National Football League in allowing just 280.0 yards per game, but they’ve surrendered 65 combined points in road setbacks to the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. It’s important to note that both of those offenses are better than the one it will face on Thursday night. Pittsburgh is 3-3 ATS as a road favorite of 3.5 to 7 points, with the OVER going 4-2 in those contests.

The Steelers will have only two practices this week due to the shortened schedule, as they’ve compiled a 5-1 record when playing on this particular day of the week under current head coach Mike Tomlin. “We need to shorten the amount of time that they’re on their feet,” he stated this week. “We need to work smart.” Pittsburgh has won just two of nine meetings when traveling to Tennessee since 1997, which is a concern when deciding whether to lay the points as one of your pro football predictions this week.

Tennessee will play on Thursday for the 15th time in franchise history, posting an 8-6 all-time record in that situation. The Titans ended up on the losing end of their last two games on the road, including a 30-7 defeat as six-point underdogs to the Minnesota Vikings, as they’ve been out-gained by a triple-digit yardage margin in four of their five contests this year. Tennessee is 3-0 ATS after two straight losses by 10 points or more the last two-plus seasons.

The Titans are 29-41 all-time when matching up with the Steelers during the regular season, as they look to get things going in the right direction at home. Tennessee has compiled a 66-40 record at LP Field, including a 1-1 mark during the 2012 campaign. Running back Chris Johnson is going to need to find some consistency to his game, rushing for just 24 yards on 15 carries, which directly followed a 141-yard performance in Week 4 against the Houston Texans.