Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos: Sunday Night Football Betting Odds and Predictions

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
Sunday, 9/9/12, 8:20 PM EST, TV: NBC
Opening Point Spread: Denver -3.5
Current Betting Line: Denver -2
Opening Total: 45
Current Total: 46
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Steelers Panthers NFL Preview — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is 5-1 in season openers

Pittsburgh has been pointing to this game for quite some time, suffering a 29-23 overtime setback in the Mile High City in last year’s NFL playoffs. The Steelers will not have all of their players available for a defensive unit that ranked first in the NFL in total yards allowed last year, as linebacker James Harrison (knee) and safety Ryan Clark (medical condition) will not suit up. Pittsburgh is 7-10 ATS on the road the last two years, with the “over” going 12-5 in those contests.

The Steelers and Broncos will be meeting for the 22nd time in this series, with this being the third matchup in a Sunday night contest, with tonight’s host winning both of those contests in the Mile High City. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin has tallied a solid 5-1 opening day record, while he looks to improve to 25-16 on the road in regular season action. The franchise is 40-33-4 all-time on Kickoff Weekend, winning eight of its last nine opportunities. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has some weapons on the outside this year, as he comes off a 4,077-yard season, with 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Denver is ready for the national spotlight of opening its 2012 NFL regular season on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, as quarterback Peyton Manning makes his first start in a game that counts since the 2010 campaign. “You know that Pittsburgh is going to have an excellent defense,” commented Manning this week. “We certainly have our hands full.” The former Indianapolis Colts star is 2-2 in this career versus the Steel Curtain, throwing for seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Denver is 1-4 ATS as home favorites of three or less points the last two years.

The Broncos are definitely going to put the ball in the air more, but it’s still important to note that they ranked first in the league in averaging 164.5 yards per game last year. Denver will have balance offensively if running back Willis McGahee is able to duplicate last year’s season of rushing for 1,199 yards. On the other side of the football, former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio takes over as the team’s defensive coordinator, which is significant as the season wears on.