New York Giants vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) will get another opportunity to prove they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders at home against their second NFC East opponent in a month Sunday when they host the hot New York Giants (8-3) as solid favorites.

The Steelers have won two straight against weak foes since losing to the NFC-leading Dallas Cowboys 35-30 in Week 10, while the Giants are riding a six-game winning streak and have gone 5-1 against the spread during that stretch.

Point spread: The Steelers opened as six-point favorites; the total was 50 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 25.0-18.6 Steelers (NFL picks on every game)

Why the Giants can cover the spread

New York remains the only team to defeat Dallas this year, even though it came way back in Week 1. But the Giants have played as well as any team in the NFL over the last six games, beating up on five teams with losing records in addition to the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens.

That should give them a lot of confidence heading into Pittsburgh, especially since the Steelers have not won a game against a team with a winning mark since Week 4, when they blew out the Kansas City Chiefs at home.

Why the Steelers can cover the spread

Pittsburgh has arguably the best set of skill-position players in the league, led by running back Le'Veon Bell. After missing the first three games of the season due to a suspension, Bell has stepped up the last two weeks in wins over the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts with 266 rushing yards on 51 carries and two of his three touchdowns.

The Steelers have gone 10-1 straight up and 9-1-1 against the spread in their last 11 December games, and they will continue to rely on Bell to carry the offense as the weather gets colder in winter. Also, Pittsburgh sits with a 61 percent chance to win the AFC North, according to PredictionMachine.com, and will be looking to improve those odds even further on Sunday.

Smart pick

This is a huge test for both teams, which each have Super Bowl aspirations. The competition here is better than either of them has faced lately, so it will be interesting to see who rises to the occasion. Pittsburgh's recent success in December will be the difference, though, as New York's winning streak gets exposed for being weak in a rout.

Betting trends

The Giants are 3-1 ATS in their last four games against the Steelers.

The total has gone under in five of the Steelers' last six games as a favorite.

The Steelers are 10-1 SU and 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games in December.

All NFL lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the Odds Shark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.