Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5) will attempt to win their 10th straight game during the month of December when they host the Denver Broncos (10-3) in a key AFC matchup on Sunday.

The Steelers have gone 9-0 against the spread while winning nine consecutive December games, but they've lost five of the past seven home meetings with the Broncos.

Point Spread: The Steelers opened as 6.5-point favorites. The total was 45 early in the week.

Odds Shark Computer Pick: Steelers 27.2, Broncos 18.6

Why the Broncos Can Cover the Spread

Denver’s defense has carried the team all season and should be able to do the same thing here at Pittsburgh. While the Steelers feature one of the NFL’s most potent offenses, their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is not the same effective player when he is pressured and running for his life.

The Broncos lead the league in sacks and saw firsthand how that can impact a game in last week’s 15-12 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler was sacked five times by Oakland’s Khalil Mack, and he should learn from that experience and be more prepared against a tough Pittsburgh defense.

Denver is also hoping running back C.J. Anderson (ankle) will be healthier against the Steelers to help take some pressure off Osweiler. Anderson was active last week but did not see any game action, leaving Ronnie Hillman to carry the load.

Why the Steelers Can Cover the Spread

Motivation always seems to fuel Pittsburgh late in the year, which is why the team has performed so well in the final month.

Last year, the Steelers stole the AFC North title away from the Cincinnati Bengals in the final week, and they could do the same this season if they win out and the Bengals falter without injured quarterback Andy Dalton.

While Pittsburgh’s offense tends to grab all the headlines, the team’s defense has stepped up against good teams at home. The Oakland Raiders have been the only opponent to score more than 16 points against the Steelers at Heinz Field since a 23-20 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens back in Week 4.

They have won their last two home games by a combined score of 75-19, easily covering the spread both times.

Smart Pick

The Broncos have the better defense, and that will be the difference in this important conference game. They are also 4-0 straight up and ATS in their last four games as underdogs, and Osweiler played fairly well for them until he was pressured a lot last week.

Offensively, Pittsburgh has scored 30 or more points in five straight games. The last two times the Steelers failed to hit 30, they lost. That will be the case again here.

Betting Trends

• The Broncos are 5-2 SU in their last seven games on the road against the Steelers.
• The favored team is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games in this matchup.
• The Broncos are 4-0 SU and ATS in their last four games as underdogs.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.