Carolina Panthers @ Pittsburgh Steelers - game info

[Betfair]

Don't let their respective records fool you - key absences on the Steelers' side may make this contest closer than it first appears

The Steelers have clinched a play-off berth - that's certain, and they now control their own destiny as to where they sit in the AFC pecking order, win their last two games and the AFC North title is theirs along with the No2 seeding.

If they had won last Sunday against the Jets the scenario would have been even easier but the side from the Big Apple failed to read the script, recorded their first win in Pittsburgh and kept their own post-season hopes alive. That defeat had plenty to do with the absence of two key players - Tight End Heath Miller and Safety Troy Polamalu - Miller is expected to return after missing two weeks with post-concussion symptoms, but Polamalu is likely sit out for a second straight game with a strained right Achilles' tendon.

The visiting Panthers have had a season to forget - 2-12 overall, they are 0-6 on the road, and they have yielded an average of 25 points per game, a position that must put the continued tenure of Head Coach John Fox in jeopardy. With a visit to Atlanta to come the season is unlikely to end on a high note either. Offensively they will be looking to chew up the clock with their ground game - Running Back Jonathan Stewart has totalled 270 yards in his last two games, but he'll find circumstances a lot tougher against the Steelers' top-ranked rushing defence. Unfortunately, the Panthers look uncomfortable putting the ball in the hands of QB Jimmy Clausen and that gives them a one-dimensional look.

Although this looks easy for the Steelers, they are without Polamalu and that always appears to affect them - the Steelers are 14-4 with him over the past two years, allowing 14.8 points per game while producing 41 turnovers. When Polamalu's been out they're 5-7, yielding an average of 23.1 points while totalling 11 takeaways - a dramatic difference. Offensively, Pittsburgh have also been struggling, recording just four touchdowns in their last four outings, a Panthers team coming off their best defensive performance of the season may be a little tougher to crack than first appears.
Pittsburgh are worthy of their very short price in this contest but without Polamalu and with a stuttering offence, a double figure handicap may be tougher than expected to overcome.

Recommended Bet:
Back Carolina Panthers +13.5 @ [2.16] or better to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers

[NightCap424]

NFL needs flex scheduling on Thursdays......I won't be watching one snap of this boring game.