Odds: Steelers Open as Underdog to Atlanta

The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to being underdogs this season. That role won’t change when they pay a visit to Atlanta this Sunday.

Ahead of the Steelers’ matchup with Indianapolis Monday night, the lines for the upcoming matchup with the Falcons are out. The Steelers are 1.5-point underdogs against Atlanta with a +106 money line, according to odds posted by FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under total for the game is 42 points.

Pittsburgh has been the underdog in eight of its 11 matchups this season, posting a 2-6 record.

The Steelers have been dominant in the all-time series with Atlanta, winning 14 of 17 meetings. Pittsburgh’s .853 winning percentage against the Falcons is their highest against any foe, save for the Carolina Panthers (.857).

Dating back to 2010, the Steelers have won each of the teams’ last three clashes. The last time the Falcons came out on top against Pittsburgh was in October 2006. Michael Vick completed 18 of his 30 passes that day for 232 yards and a career-high four touchdowns.

Morten Andersen’s 32-yard field goal sealed a 41-38 overtime triumph in which Ben Roethlisberger left the game after being knocked unconscious in the third quarter. Hines Ward finished the tilt with eight catches for 171 yards and three scores.

Since then, the Steelers have bested Atlanta twice at home and once on the road. The 2010 meeting saw Pittsburgh open its schedule with Dennis Dixon behind center while Roethlisberger was serving a four-game suspension. Rashard Mendenhall rushed for a game-high 120 yards in a 15-9 win.

The Falcons only other win against the Steelers came in 1970. It would be another 36 years before Vick and company would snap a 10-game winless streak that included a 34-34 tie in November 2002.

This season, the Falcons are 1-5 against the spread in their last six contests. Betting trends show that the under has hit in each of Atlanta’s last five December games.