Two high-scoring teams with elite quarterbacks but incredibly inept defenses will meet at Heinz Field in Week 5. That’s the Atlanta Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are both trying to turn things around before they fall into an irreversible situation. Which of these two teams will avoid another gut-wrenching loss in a high-profile meeting in Week 5?
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Betting Preview for the Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Week 5 Game on October 7, 2018
Where: Heinz Field
When: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Atlanta Falcons (+3) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) – view all 2018 NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Atlanta Falcons (1-3)
The Falcons are flirting with disaster. Through four weeks of the 2018 season, Atlanta is only 1-3. Another loss would put the Falcons’ backs harder to the wall. While their season is in question, there’s little doubting the admirable job quarterback Matt Ryan is doing for the Falcons. In a 37-36 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday at home, Ryan passed for 419 yards and three touchdowns with zero picks thrown on 29-of-39 completions. Back in Week 3, Ryan posted five passing touchdowns without an interception in a 43-37 home overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints. Obviously, it’s the Falcons’ defense that keeps on shooting the team in the foot. The Falcons have allowed 34.7 points over their last three games, the worst in the league over that span. In any case, Ryan will have the opportunity to put up another MVP-type performance against the Steelers’ offense that seems to be just as leaky as Atlanta’s. The Steelers are 30th in a league with 420 total yards per contest thus far this season.
The under is 5-0 in Atlanta’s last five games away from home.
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2-1)
The Steelers are probably missing Le’Veon Bell right now. They might not want to show it, but the stat sheet speaks for itself. In their 26-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at home in Week 4, the Steelers only had 19 rushing yards on 11 carries. The Steelers seemed to have purposely avoided running the ball against Baltimore’s sturdy defense, which can’t be said about Atlanta’s stop unit. Atlanta has allowed 121.0 rushing yards over its last three games, and that weak brand of defense should play well into the outlook of second-year Steelers running back James Conner, who only had 19 rushing yards on nine carries against Baltimore. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is coming off an ugly performance in the Baltimore game in which he had 274 passing yards (27/47) with just a touchdown and an interception. But with Atlanta’s much-maligned defense presents Big Ben an opportunity to go off with the help of talented receivers in the elite Antonio Brown and the up-and-coming JuJu Smith-Schuster. Brown and Smith-Schuster had 62 and 60 receiving yards, respectively, against Baltimore.
The over is 3-1 in Pittsburgh’s last four games at Heinz Field.
Writer’s Prediction
Atlanta wins, 34-28.
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