The line for the game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers is currently hovering around the over/under mark. If you’re thinking of placing a wager on the game, you might wonder what the betting line is and how you can make the most of it. Here’s some of what you need to know.
What’s the Line Movement Since The AFC Championship Game?
Since the Buffalo Bills ended the 2018 season on a high note, with a win over the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the line movement on their games has essentially been stationary. The Bills are 5-1 in their last 6 games following that upset victory over the Patriots. During that time, the team is averaging just over 7 points per game. Since then, Buffalo has gone 2-2 with both losses coming against teams from the same conference as the Patriots – the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs. The line on the Bills’ most recent game against the Cincinnati Bengals was taken down to 7.5 points early in the week before the game and then rose to 9 points by game time. We’ll see if that kind of movement continues this Sunday when the Bills take on the 2-time defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2-1 ATS).
What Was The Line Movement Prior To The AFC Championship Game?
On the season prior to the Bills’ victory over the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the line movement on their games was nothing to write home about. Buffalo was 5-8 ATS prior to that date and opened the season against the Tennessee Titans at 3.5 points. From there, the line moved up and down the whole season with 4 games going over and 7 games under. It was a similar story in the playoffs with the Bills going 4-1 ATS in their first 5 postseason games before falling to New York in the AFC Wild Card Game. The line never got back above.5 points in either direction for the entire 2018 season (with the Patriots as the favorite throughout).
How Has Buffalo Fared Against The Spread In Its Last 6 Games?
Since the Bills’ AFC Championship Game victory over the Patriots, they’re 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games. Granted, 2 of those 4 wins came against the Dolphins and Jets. But at least the Bills are showing some fight in that area. In fact, in both the Dolphins and Jets games, Buffalo was a 3-point favorite. The Jets missed a field goal in the last minute of the game which would have made the score closer. Instead, it was 10-7 Buffalo, which sealed the victory.
What’s Next For The Bills?
Buffalo will be looking to continue its winning streak as they take on the 2-time defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers in a battle of the Bills’ past against the Steelers’ present. The teams have split their meetings since 2006 and this Sunday’s game could very well determine the winner of the AFC East. As we’ve seen in the past, even elite athletes can fall prey to injuries. If history repeats itself, and it usually does, we’ll see if Roethlisberger and the Steelers are indeed too injured to beat Buffalo this year. (1-0-2 ATS in those four previous meetings)
There’s no question that the Steelers are one of the greatest showings in the history of the NFL. Two-time Super Bowl winner Roethlisberger has thrown for 16 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions in his last 11 outings. The Steelers are coming off a 41-point explosion against the Baltimore Ravens in which they scored 40 points in the first half. They then went on to beat the Cleveland Browns in a blowout, 56-0.
On the other hand, the Bills are looking to rebound from a difficult 2018 season in which they went 4-12. The team did not make the playoffs last year for the first time since the 2011 season. This year’s roster is a good mix of veterans and youth eager to prove themselves. It’ll be interesting to see how Buffalo’s high-powered offense can perform on the road against the Steelers’ defense, which is one of the most feared in the NFL. This game will essentially determine who belongs in first place in the AFC East heading into the 2019 NFL season.