NFL Playoffs: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos and 5 Hot-to-Trot Tips

While most of us might still be wondering how it was the Denver Broncos ended up in the NFL playoffs, they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Round, and this one truly is a quality matchup.

Will it be the highest-quality football we see all weekend? Probably not. But like any playoff game, it will feature two teams with it all on the line—everything to play for, and everything to lose. And it will feature the drama of Tim Tebow in his biggest test as a pro.

Whether you're a diehard fan for either side or just an interested fan, here's your five hot-to-trot tips for the big game this weekend. Because, when it all comes down to it, whatever the result is, we're all going to feel better if our pockets are a little heavier.

Head-to-head

Be a Tebow-fan or a Tebow-hater, he has taken the Broncos to a home playoff game against the Pittsburgh, which is something nobody would have expected to happen. How he fares though in the big boys league is another question entirely.

For the Broncos, they must find a way to get past the Pittsburgh defense that once again, is hitting it's strides come playoff season. For the Steelers, if they can stop the running game of Tebow and McGahee, they will be hard to take down.

And for all the hype around Tebow, it's ending here.

Ranking 31st in the league in passing yards, Tebow has garnered the offense in to a run-first, second and third mentality, and whilst it has gained some success, against the quality sides such as the Patriots and the Lions, Denver has been blown away.

And they will get blown away by the Steelers too in this one unless they can find a way to get to an injured Ben Roethlisberger. He may be playing on one foot at the moment, but Ben is still good enough to carve out wins off the back of his strong defense, which is currently allowing less than 200 passing yards and less than 100 rushing yards.

Even Tebow will struggle to break down that wall.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers to win

Margin and spread

Most Steelers games aren't turned in to a shootout, and neither are most Broncos games, which does suit Denver's style of play in recent weeks. However, if you're after a team that will hold on to a small lead and take the win, you're looking at the Steelers. Exceptions to the Baltimore game, Pittsburgh have been clutch in the final quarter this year and will be a real test for Tebow attempting to create another fourth quarter miracle.

And with the Steelers strong defense, they will always be competitive, but I also expect the Denver defense to match up well for this one.

Von Miller has been simply outstanding throughout the entire year, and for all the success of the Broncos, the defense deserves a significant portion of the praise. Their run defense has had it's concerns, in allowing over 125 yards per game and 11 touchdowns for the season, but with Rashard Mendenhall out for the Steelers, some of the threat shall be relieved on that front.

With Big Ben injured, expect the Steelers quarterback to start nearly everything from the shotgun, and take away the running game of the Steelers, which will benefit the Broncos pass defense. Ben must move well in the pocket, or the MIller-led blitz could swallow him whole and spit him out on the other side.

I guess what I'm pointing at here is that it will be close. Don't underestimate Tebow, and definitely don't do it when he's at home. I don't think he's at all good enough to win, but with the crippled Steelers only putting up 30 points in their last three games behind Roethlisberger, he is definitely close enough if good enough.

Expect both defenses to have big games and force key turnovers, but expect the Steelers to come out on top in a dog fight. So if you have a good spread, I'd be taking it.

Prediction: Denver Broncos with the spread (or Pittsburgh Steelers by 1-6 points)

Over/under total points

As I've mentioned, the Steelers aren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard behind Ben lately, and the Broncos aren't known for lighting up the scoreboard offensively much this year either.

With the Steelers only averaging 20.3 points per game and allowing 14.2, expect another tight, organised performance by them, as they try to grind Tebow out of the contest. And although the Broncos have allowed some points in lately, they shouldn't have too much to worry about with a Steeler offense that is slowly running out of options.

An injured Ben Roethlisberger, plus Tim Tebow's completion rate of 44 percent; I think this one should be a fairly easy decision to make. The over/under line should come down, and for good reason, but I still don't think it will come down enough. Take anything down to around 35 points, otherwise take the over and pray that Roethlisberger finds a way to throw touchdowns.

Prediction: Under total points for the match (take anything down to around 35 points)

First scoring play

Whilst I might not be set on a whole lot of points in this one, I am still set on it being a dog-fight that the Broncos will be well-equipped for. If I haven't made that clear, here's my final way of saying that the Steelers will win, but Denver won't be completely blown away.

And Denver, well, who knows how they're going to start. Big game against the Patriots? Tebow took the opening drive the length of the field and scored the touchdown. However, in three other games this year, the Broncos haven't managed to score anything in the first half, an NFL record in it's own right.

So without knowing what Denver you're going to get, I'm going the middle ground.

I think the offense will be geared up and ready to go early, and I think the defense will be especially ready also. And because of that, I've got the Denver defense to make a big stop early, followed up by a solid offensive drive.

Are they good enough to crack the Steelers defense on their first go? Certainly not. But they only need to get to around halfway. We''ve seen how far Matt Prater can hit them, and I'm with him to pop one over early and send the home crowd in to premature hysteria.

Prediction: Denver field goal as the first scoring play of the game

First touchdown scorer

I said just above that Denver won't crack the Pittsburgh defense early; the Steelers are simply a class above and won't make it easy for the offense. 

With Mendenhall out and Roethlisberger practically restricted to the shotgun, expect a quick deep throw or a good jump ball to catch out the Broncos defense, that have only taken 13 interceptions for the year. And in that situation, Ben loves to go to one man early, and that's Mike Wallace.

Wallace has taken 72 catches this year for 1,193 yards, and eight touchdowns. Whilst not incredibly high statistics, considering the significance of the running game to the Steelers in recent weeks, as well as Ben's decreasing mobility, expect Wallace to be a go-to-guy early for Roethlisberger.

Prediction: Mike Wallace to score the first touchdown of the game

For more articles by Dan Talintyre, click here, or follow him on Twitter @dantalintyre