The Pittsburgh Steelers are off to an 0-1-1 straight-up start to 2018 and are just 1-8 against the spread over their last nine games. The Steelers will try to buck these negative trends this Monday night when they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tight betting line for Steelers vs. Buccaneers on Monday night
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in search of their first win of the season heading into Tampa Bay, with the sportsbooks making them small road betting favorites.
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Pittsburgh is a 1.5-point road favorite in Tampa Bay at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. In their last 12 appearances in night games the Steelers are a perfect 12-0 SU.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
When: Monday, September 24, 8:15 p.m. ET
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
Betting Line / Total: Pittsburgh -1.5 / 53.5 Points
Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s difficult to say how much the absence of Le’Veon Bell has affected the Steelers in their 0-1-1 SU and 0-2 ATS start. While missing one of the best players in the NFL certainly has an impact, Pittsburgh has beaten itself over the last two weeks, coughing up six turnovers in a 21-21 tie against Cleveland and allowing six touchdown passes in a 42-37 loss to Kansas City last Sunday.
The Steelers have been sloppy in all three facets of the game, and that will need to change in a hurry if Pittsburgh wants to get its season back on track.
The Steelers are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games against Tampa Bay including a 4-1 ATS record in their last five against the Buccaneers per the OddsShark NFL Database.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
What was supposed to be a three-game stint while starting quarterback Jameis Winston served a suspension looks like it could be a much longer stay in the starting role for Tampa Bay’s Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The 35-year-old journeyman leads the NFL in passing yards with 819 through the Buccaneers’ first two games while racking up eight touchdown passes and just one interception. Fitzpatrick’s white-hot start has given Tampa Bay a surprising 2-0 SU and ATS start to the season with back-to-back upset wins over New Orleans and Philadelphia.
Monday night’s total is set at 53.5 points. The UNDER is 18-5 in Pittsburgh’s last 23 games on the road.
With the better team on paper and a must-win scenario in front of them, it makes sense that the Steelers are favorites in this one. But putting aside expectations of what this year was supposed to be and looking just at how these two teams have played this season, it’s hard to justify the Buccaneers getting points at home on Monday night.
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