Two of the NFL’s better teams will clash this Sunday when the Los Angeles Chargers (8-3 SU, 6-5 ATS) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1 SU, 6-4-1 ATS) at 8:20 PM ET on NBC. The Steelers have opened as 3.5-point favorites, while the total at press time has already dipped from 52.5 to 51.5.
Despite RB Le’Veon Bell’s protracted holdout, which will now cover the entire 2018 campaign, the Steelers are first in the AFC North – although their six-game winning streak was snapped last week by the Denver Broncos, who prevailed 24-17 as 3.5-point home dogs. RB James Connor coughed up a fumble in that loss; ball protection has been an issue for Connor, taking some of the starch out of his 4.6 yards per carry.
The Chargers are enjoying their best season since they won four straight AFC West titles in their first four years with Phillip Rivers at quarterback. Rivers (115.7 passer rating) is performing as well as ever, thanks in part to RB Melvin Gordon (5.2 yards per carry), who’s giving the Chargers the punch they’ve lacked ever since LaDainian Tomlinson left town. Their last game was a 45-10 trouncing of the Arizona Cardinals as 14-point home favorites.c
