St. Louis Rams vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Spread Info, Line and Predictions

The playoff-bound Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) will host the St. Louis Rams (2-12) on Christmas Eve at Heinz Field with the AFC North crown still up for grabs. Both teams are coming off losses, while the Rams have lost five straight overall and are in play for the 2012 NFL Draft's first overall pick.

Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA

When: Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, 1:00 PM ET

Watch: FOX

Spread

Pittsburgh -14 over St. Louis according to footballlocks.com. With Ben Roethlisberger a potential no-go for Week 16's matchup, it's hard to believe that the Steelers can top the Rams by two touchdowns. But given the embarrassment the Steelers suffered last Monday night and the Rams' inconsistent effort from week to week, Pittsburgh should roll to a blowout victory regardless of who is under center.

Over/Under

36.5 according to footballlocks.com. This is a spot-on line given the fact that the Steelers hardly ever blow up the scoreboard (20.4 points per game), and that the Rams are dead last in the league in scoring offense, averaging less than 12 points per game this season.

Key Injuries

Pittsburgh: QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle), questionable. Roethlisberger had a rough outing on Monday night, throwing for 300-plus yards but three interceptions against the 49ers. With Pittsburgh already locked into a wild-card spot at worst, look for Big Ben to sit on Saturday.

WR Emmanuel Sanders (foot), questionable. Sanders was limited in practice on Wednesday according to ESPN and the Steelers' official website.

St. Louis: QB Sam Bradford (ankle), doubtful. Bradford has been hobbled by a bum ankle for weeks now and this is not the defense he should test it against after a week off in Week 15. 

QB A.J. Feeley (thumb), doubtful. Feeley did not practice on Thursday according to ESPN.com and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This means QB Kellen Clemens will likely get the nod against Pittsburgh.

Fantasy Big Plays

Mike Wallace: The Pittsburgh WR has been quiet in recent weeks, catching just nine balls for zero touchdowns since exploding for two scores against the Bengals in Week 13. If Charlie Batch, or someone not named Ben Roethlisberger suits up for the Steelers this weekend, expect Wallace to be that guy's No. 1 option down the field. Wallace has 1,100 yards and eight TDs this season, and is averaging 16.4 yards per catch.

Steven Jackson: Don't count Jackson out just yet, even though he has been down with the Rams all season and has been relatively unhelpful to fantasy owners over the past few weeks. St. Louis will be leaning on Jackson against the Steelers' talented, No. 1-ranked pass defense. Jackson has 966 yards rushing this season and should surpass the 1,000-yard plateau in this game.

Keys to Steelers' Win

The key for Pittsburgh to win on Saturday is simple. Limit the mistakes when possible and continue to play solid defense. The Roethlisberger injury shouldn't be harmful given that their opponent is 2-12 and nursing some critical injuries of their own. Offensively the Steelers need to pound running back Rashard Mendenhall. 

Keys to Rams' Win

The Rams are dead-last in the league in rushing defense, and with Roethlisberger either banged up or not playing, St. Louis can expect plenty of run. They will have to pull off a Christmas miracle and tighten up in the front seven so that Clemens and Jackson can gain some breathing room offensively. The Rams have to win time of possession and convert on third downs.

Prediction

A motivated James Harrison returns to the lineup and the entire Black and Yellow squad is fired up to prove they aren't as bad as they looked on Monday night. 

Steelers 31, Rams 13