The road has not been kind to the Pittsburgh Steelers, as they’ve lost their last two games away from home. The team had difficulty keeping its opponents off the scoreboard in those contests, allowing 41 points in each setback. Pittsburgh (6-5-1) will hope for a much better performance when it visits the Minnesota Vikings (5-7) on Thursday Night Football in NFL Week 14. The Steelers nearly saw their overall winless streak reach four games last Sunday, but escaped with a 20-19 home victory over Baltimore after the Ravens failed to convert a two-point attempt with 12 seconds remaining.
Kickoff from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET. Minnesota is a three-point favorite in the latest Vikings vs. Steelers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 43.5. Before locking in any Steelers vs. Vikings picks or NFL predictions, make sure you see what SportsLine expert R.J. White has to say.
White, a CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor, ended the 2020 season on an 80-59 run on all NFL picks, returning more than $1,400 during that span. It’s no surprise, as White has cashed huge twice in the world’s most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest.
In addition, White has gone an amazing 38-19-3 on his last 60 picks involving Minnesota, returning over $1,600. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has broken down Vikings vs. Steelers from every angle and just locked in his against the spread pick and Thursday Night Football predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see White’s Vikings vs. Steelers expert picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Steelers vs. Vikings:
- Vikings vs. Steelers spread: Minnesota -3
- Vikings vs. Steelers over-under: 43.5 points
- Vikings vs. Steelers money line: Minnesota -170, Pittsburgh +145
- MIN: Vikings are 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 games as favorites
- PIT: Steelers are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 contests as road underdogs
Featured Game | Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Why the Vikings can cover
Minnesota easily could have a winning record, as its seven losses this season have been by one score. Two of those defeats took place in overtime, while two others saw the opposing team rally to victory in the last minute of regulation, including last Sunday’s 29-27 setback at Detroit in which the Lions scored a touchdown on the final play. The Vikings have one of the top offenses in the NFL, ranking seventh total offense (384.9 yards) and in passing (271.7), while leading the league with only nine giveaways.
Kirk Cousins is having a strong season for Minnesota. He sits in the top 10 in the NFL in passing yards (3,353) and touchdown passes (25). The 33-year-old has recorded five 300-yard performances this year while throwing at least two TD passes in five consecutive outings and nine of his 12 contests. Cousins also has kept his turnovers to a minimum, with his three interceptions the fewest among all starting quarterbacks in the league.
Why the Steelers can cover
While his best days as an NFL quarterback certainly are behind him, Ben Roethlisberger has proven he’s still capable. The 39-year-old has thrown at least one touchdown pass in his 11 outings this season and been intercepted in just one of his last seven contests. Roethlisberger orchestrated the 39th fourth-quarter comeback of his career on Sunday, leading the team to scores on each of their first three drives in the session to help turn a 10-3 deficit into a 20-13 lead.
Roethlisberger connected with Diontae Johnson for a pair of scores during the comeback, giving the third-year wideout his second career multi-touchdown performance. The 25-year-old Johnson, who also had two TD catches against Tennessee last season, finished the contest with eight receptions for 105 yards. It was the third 100-yard effort of the season and second in three games for Johnson, who is among the top 10 receivers in the league this year with 914 yards.
How to make Vikings vs. Steelers picks
For Thursday Night Football, White is leaning Over on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He’s sharing what it is and which side of the Steelers vs. Vikings spread to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins Steelers vs. Vikings on Thursday Night Football? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Steelers vs. Vikings spread you should jump on, all from the NFL expert who’s an amazing 38-19-3 on picks involving Minnesota, and find out.
