Steelers Host Texans as Monday Night Football Favorites

Monday Night Football pays a visit to Heinz Field to close out Week 7 of the NFL season for an AFC clash between the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both these teams come in with a 3-3 straight-up record on the year, but the Texans are 4-2 against the spread while the Steelers boast just a 2-4 record ATS.

Bovada has listed Houston as a 3.5-point road underdog on its NFL odds and the total line for Monday night’s clash has been set at 44.5 points. The Texans will try and snap a two-game skid and they are just 1-3 SU in their last four games. Last Thursday they fell to Indianapolis 33-28 as 2.5-point home underdogs and the total went OVER the 46.5-point closing line. The total has gone OVER in three of their last five games.

The Steelers have followed up a win with a SU loss ever since they posted an opening day victory against Cleveland. Last Sunday they lost the second meeting against the Browns this season 31-10 as 2.5-point road underdogs. The total in that game stayed UNDER the Bovada 46.5-point betting odds and it has stayed UNDER in three of their last five games.

Houston continues to rely heavily on a defense that is ranked fourth in the NFL in points allowed (20.0), but this unit is actually ranked just 27th in the league in total yards allowed (397.2) and in their last two games the Texans have given up at total of 53 points in losses to Dallas and the Colts. Offensively, they are ranked 21st in scoring with 22 points a game.

The Steelers have also struggled to find the end zone this season with an average of 20.7 points, but they continue to rack up the yards with 396.5 a game which is ranked eighth in the league. Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed 23.2 points a game this season and it is ranked 12th in yards allowed (337.0).

The Texans head into Monday night’s tilt mired in a 10-game SU losing streak as underdogs on the road with a 4-6 record ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in six of their last eight games as road underdogs. Pittsburgh is 1-3 ATS in its last four home games as a favorite and the total has stayed UNDER in 13 of their last 17 games as a favorite at home. The total has stayed UNDER in three of the last four games between these two conference foes.