AFC Championship Game 2017: Live Stream, Odds Guide for Steelers vs. Patriots

A showdown between Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady with a trip to the Super Bowl swinging in the balance just seems right. 

Fans might tire of the old guard in such scenarios. But it is natural to feel admiration toward the fact these two keep chugging along despite almost any circumstances.

Big Ben missed time this year with injuries and has the Pittsburgh Steelers on the cusp of another title. Tom Brady embraced the villain role by serving a four-game suspension before going on to play at an MVP level while throwing two interceptions over 12 games.

Game	Date	Time (ET)	TV	Live Stream	Point Spread
Pittsburgh at New England	Jan. 22	6:40 p.m.	CBS	CBSSports.com	NE (-6)

Las Vegas stands in New England's corner, which isn't hard to understand. A six-point line seems reasonable enough after seeing Brady against the Steelers once this year already. An over/under of 51 at OddsShark.com makes sense as well given the firepower set to take the field in Foxborough.

Roethlisberger knows a thing or two about playing in the AFC title game given his 3-1 record in it. He also hasn't shied away from the borderline dream matchup against Brady, though he wants the focus to go on the teams as a whole.

He downplayed the quarterback battle during interviews with the media leading up to the game, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com):

"

It's two old guys playing this game for a long time. He deserves all the credit he gets. I think this is more than just the two of us. We're not playing tennis. At the quarterback position you get used to it—a lot of talk quarterback vs. quarterback. I know and I'm sure he knows it's bigger than us.

"

But it is hard to place the attention almost anywhere else. Big Ben missed the Week 7 encounter between these teams in Pittsburgh.

Watching from the sidelines, Roethlisberger saw the Steelers take a 27-16 loss with Landry Jones under center. With the passing game grounded, Le'Veon Bell found himself bottled up with 81 yards on a 3.9 average. The Pittsburgh defense couldn't compensate, letting Brady throw a pair of scores and LeGarrette Blount rush for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

Roethlisberger's presence under center isn't exactly about the numbers he will produce—it is more about the threat. He hasn't been on fire as of late. In a 30-12 win against the Miami Dolphins in the opening round, he threw a pair of touchdowns and interceptions before following up with only an interception in an 18-16 escape of the Kansas City Chiefs in the following round.

Said presence opens things up for Bell, who rushed for 167 yards and a pair of scores against the Dolphins and 170 more against the Chiefs.

If there is a defense that can shut down Bell and make Big Ben win a game with his arm, it is New England's unit. Lost in the hype of the quarterbacks is the fact the Patriots defense only allowed 15.6 points per game this year and just 88.6 rushing yards per game.

ESPN's Mike Clay added some necessary context:

Pittsburgh's departure from the pass-first approach employed over the past couple of seasons places a bigger emphasis on the defense being able to keep opposing offenses in check. 

That's easier said than done against Brady, who threw 28 touchdowns against two interceptions over 12 games during the regular season. 

Pittsburgh, though, thinks it sees an avenue for success after Brady threw for a pair of touchdowns and interceptions in a 34-16 win against the Houston Texans.

“For us, it’s obviously going to be minimizing [Brady’s] role and pressuring him,” safety Mike Mitchell said, according to the Boston Globe's Nora Princiotti. “Houston did a pretty decent job getting pressure up the middle. I think everyone pretty much knows that’s the plan.”

As the final score indicates, though, pressure and a few mistakes didn't hamper the Patriots much against Houston. Brady isn't going to blink in the face of pressure, and it is important to keep in mind—especially when playing the odds—that he has done the majority of his damage this year without tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Brady can likely try to beat the Patriots at their own game, too. As mentioned, Blount didn't have problems rumbling against his former team earlier this season. He has rushed for six touchdowns over the team's last six games, only taking eight carries in the whipping of Houston.

From a betting standpoint, it isn't hard to see which way to lean outright. Brady at home and backed by a defense that doesn't receive much attention despite elite play isn't anything to roll against.

In general, picking against Brady when he plays the Steelers is historically a bad idea. According to NFL Research, he is 5-1 with 19 touchdowns and no interceptions against Mike Tomlin's Steelers.

The Steelers have flashed glimpses of championship-caliber play all year. Such flashes will likely keep this game close, but brief top-tier play isn't enough to take down a Patriots team consistently playing at such a level—and especially not on the road.

Look for the Patriots to pull away in the second half after the first looks like a boxing match where the two sides trade big hits and feel each other out. Brady, the defense and a friendly crowd will ensure history, as always, repeats itself.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All betting information courtesy of OddsShark. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.