The Pittsburgh Steelers lost in Week 15 in a crucial matchup with the Buffalo Bills, but they still have to keep on winning if they want to make it to the playoffs. The New York Jets can win by a million points in Week 16, but they won’t have even a sniff of the postseason. Still, they will be more than happy to poison the Steelers’ playoff chances.
Don’t expect another switch at the starting quarterback slot for the Steelers even after their 17-10 home loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has in fact already stated that Devlin Hodges will be under center for the team when they take on the Jets this coming Sunday. Hodges melted in the Bills game, as he went 23 for 38 for 202 yards and a touchdown with four booming interceptions. He was also not quick enough to avoid the Bills’ pass rush, as he was sacked four times for a loss of 24 yards. Hodges can expect a breezier time in the pocket the next time around. The Jets are just 24th in the league with 30.0 sacks. However, Hodges may not have the Steelers’ best downfield weapon again. Juju Smith-Schuster remains questionable due to a knee issue that has caused him to miss the last four Steelers games.
The Steelers, who have a stout defense that ranks sixth in the NFL with 18.5 points allowed per game, are 5-3-2 against the spread in their last 10 outings.
Betting on the New York Jets (5-9)
The Jets didn’t have enough fuel to keep in step with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, as they lost to the AFC North leaders on the road, 42-21. Adam Gase’s first year as the head coach of the Jets isn’t going well, and there’s not enough time for him this year to change the plain narrative of this team being a dumpster on fire again, but at the very least, they can try to avoid going 0-4 straight up (SU) against AFC North teams this season. One Jets player eager to show up against the Steelers is no other than former Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell, who must have circled this date with his old team a long time ago. Bell is coming off a relatively great performance against the Ravens, wherein he had a season-high 87 rushing yards on 21 carries. He may not have the shiny numbers this season, but Bell is a talented tailback who can get hot and look unstoppable when he finds his rhythm, let alone when he’s motivated by a desire to have a revenge game.
The Jets are 3-2 ATS in their last five home games.
