According to early reports from top online sportsbooks the Denver Broncos are the favorites in the AFC Divisional Round versus the Pittsburg Steelers. At the time of this writing the average line reads at -7 with a total 40.5 point spread. The outcome of this game will definitely fall on the status of one Big Ben Roethlisberger, who ended their Wild Card game versus the Bengals pretty banged up. If Big Ben can play, and is somewhat healthy, the Steelers have more than just a fighting chance versus the Broncos.
Besides Roethlisberger, the Steelers (and bettors at top sports betting sites) will also wait and see the status of Antonio Brown. The Wide Receiver has had a phenomenal year and his presence could provide Pittsburg with a much-needed edge against the league’s best passing defense. In their previous encounter with Denver, Pittsburg came from behind and handed the Broncos a 34-27 loss that is very much engrained in Denver’s memory. Roethlisberger and Brown were vital in that game, as they produced much of the Steelers offensive efforts, however the Broncos had to rely on second string QB Brock Osweiler instead of Peyton Manning, who is expected to take the field this coming Sunday.
Defensively, the Steelers need to play a near perfect game, and try to stop Denver from bombing them from long range, their front defensive unit needs to be able to get in there and force Manning (or Osweiler) to make mistakes if they want to give their offense a shot of putting numbers on the board. The Steelers can win and pull the upset on Top online sportsbooks, but it is easier said than done.
As for Denver, the rest they had allowed them to get healthy and ready for the Steelers. Despite their loss versus Pittsburg on their previous game, they have had a decent run to close out the regular season. While Osweiler has been playing well on the games they had to rely on him, the return on Manning to the Denver offense provides a boost and immeasurable experience in big games. The Denver offense should (and most likely will) dictate the pace of the game. They will look to go out and get the advantage from early on. Their defense will have their hands full if Roethlisberger and Brown do play, but they should be able to provide Manning and co enough opportunities to distance themselves from them. They are the favorites smart pick for players betting on sportsbooks. The final score for this game will be Denver 31 – Steelers 23.
