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Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers odds were listed at -4 nearly everywhere and this is where the line opened. Interestingly, around 85 percent of the betting action was on the Vikings. Bookmaker.com had the line at -4 with the line moving up a half point for a 12 hour period Tuesday.
Here are some important points to consider from Scouts.com before betting on this game:
The Vikings have been effective moving the chains with a good mixture of run and pass. Head coach Brad Childress will need to keep this stingy Steelers defense off balance with early-down play-action passes and a steady diet of Adrian Peterson in the running game.
The Steelers are likely to bring lots of pressure out of their multiple 3-4 schemes with defensive coordinator Dick LaBeau dialing up a variety of zone and all-out man blitzes.
The Vikings can provide a great amount of pressure, but will need to stay in their rush lanes and bring down "Big Ben" when they penetrate protection. Not giving Roethlisberger second chances to let his receivers uncover downfield will be important for a Vikings road victory.
Pittsburgh has been inconsistent rushing the football, but offensive coordinator Bruce Arians probably will challenge this unit to get physical in the trenches to move the chains. Establishing a "thunder and lightning" approach with RBs Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker will make Pittsburgh tough to stop this week and moving forward.
One of the league's most successful and respected defenses was shredded by Baltimore last week, especially in the fourth quarter. The Vikings gave up 448 yards in the game and allowed the Ravens to score 21 points in the final 10 minutes. They need to solve those issues quickly against a Steelers offense that boasts the league's second-best passing attack.
While the Steelers have shown a more explosive offense this season that can gain yards and put up points at a much faster rate than Pittsburgh fans are typically accustomed to, the unit has not taken very good care of the ball. The Steelers already have 12 turnovers and against the undefeated Vikings, such mistakes could prove costly.
Pittsburgh has won the last two games against Minnesota since 2001 by a score of 5 or more points.
Some important Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers odds trends to consider before betting on this game:
The Vikings are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
They are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
The Steelers are 7-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Bet this game here at Bookmaker.com.
Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
