NFL Week 6 Picks: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns
Sunday, 10/12/14, 1:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Cleveland PK
Current Betting Line: Cleveland -1.5
Opening Total: 46.5
Current Total: 46
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Pittsburgh Steelers have owned the Cleveland Browns with Ben Roethlisberger under center

Pittsburgh has alternated wins and losses in its first five games this season, as it looks to build off a 17-9 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars as six-point road favorites last Sunday, while winning the statistical battle for a third consecutive affair. The Steelers earned a 30-27 win over the Browns as 5.5-point home favorites in their season opener, which is important to consider when making your Week 6 NFL betting picks, while going OVER the betting total of 41.5. Pittsburgh is 6-7 SU and 7-5-1 ATS as underdogs the last two-plus seasons.

The Steelers surrendered 191 rushing yards in the first meeting, which can’t be ignored when looking over the NFL betting lines, but they’ve limited their last three opponents to 161 yards on the ground on 45 carries. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger enters with a dynamite 18-1 SU record in this AFC North series—putting together a 101.5 passer rating in coming up victorious in the last eight meetings in this rivalry series.

Cleveland has also fallen in a alternating pattern in putting together a 2-2 SU and 2-0-1 ATS record, as it tallied a 29-28 come-from-behind victory over the Tennessee Titans last week. The Browns will certainly be challenged by Roethlisberger defensively, as he accounts for 404.0 yards per game, but the stop unit needs to play big in the red zone, with today’s opponent coming away with just seven touchdowns in 16 trips inside the 20-yard line. Cleveland is 6-9 SU and 4-9-2 ATS in games where the betting line is +3 to -3, with the UNDER going 9-6 in that situation.

The Browns are 5-2 SU when starting Brian Hoyer under center, as he has managed to toss six touchdowns and just a single interception. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star is at his best in the final 30 minutes of games, as he’s put together a 103.8 second-half passer rating that ranks behind just six players in the league in that all-important statistical category.