Steelers-Buccaneers betting lines and point spread updates for ‘Monday Night Football’

The Bucs are one of the hottest teams in the league, and bettors are supporting them at home against the Steelers. 66 percent of bettors at William Hill’s 100+ sportsbooks are betting on the Bucs. An additional 56 percent of money wagered online on the game is on the Bucs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.

I don’t know if you could have two franchises with more disparate outlooks right now. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints on the road and then beat the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles at home, led by dominant performances from journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Pittsburgh Steelers tied the Cleveland Browns and then could do nothing to stop Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Oh, and things are getting worse in Pittsburgh. Le’Veon Bell continues his holdout, and now Antonio Brown decided not to attend Monday team meetings. It could just be about expressing his displeasure, but it’s safe to say this is at least moderately pertinent to the proceedings.

The Steelers opened as a 2.5-point favorite over the Bucs, but the line has dropped to as low as a pick ‘em at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. If Brown decides to go from skipping a meeting to holding out entirely, the line would drop further, and might even be taken off the board entirely.

Even if Brown returns to practice, the Steelers have some drama to sort out — and the betting public is probably going to sour further on a shaky Steelers squad. Add in a Bucs team that is growing in popularity, and it would not be surprising to see the betting public go heavy on the Bucs.

The Steelers have struggled against the spread lately. Dating back to last season, they are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games. Meanwhile, the Bucs have won five straight ATS. They are a fire-and-ice kind of team, having previously lost five straight ATS.