Steelers & Bucs Featured In Week 9 Upset Alert

We did the splits last week when the Dolphins flamed on Thursday night, but then we bounced right back with an underdog we absolutely loved as the Packers covered the number against the Rams and nearly won the game outright! Let’s sweep in Week 9 and crush our bookmakers.

Steelers at Ravens – Sunday, 1:00 PM ET

The Steelers have won and covered their last three, while the Ravens have lost and failed to cover their last pair. Yet, the Ravens are the chalk, according to the best online sportsbooks that can be seen all at once over at Sportsbook Review. Not surprisingly, the line is starting to drift down on the favorite because the sharps are starting to send it in on the Steelers. That’s why when you see an early line that you believe is off, jump on it and get the best number you can find. As of this writing, we can still find Pittsburgh +3 at many of the majors but if you’re inclined to back the Ravens there are 2½‘s to be found.

Our advice is to show some love to Big Ben and watch his roll continue. Immediately before their current three-game winning streak, they lost to the Ravens at home but it was a different team then. Hell, they were still bemoaning the absence of Le’Veon Bell as James Conner was casually chewing up acres of real estate before the world finally took notice as he now trails only Todd Gurley in rushing touchdowns. The Pittsburgh offense is finally in sync and now ranked second in the league in passing. Meanwhile, the Ravens seem to be going backwards as Hurricane Joe Flacco was limited to 192 yards passing and had one TD with two picks in Baltimore’s loss to Carolina last Sunday.

Let’s understand that this is not only a divisional matchup but a revenge game for the Steelers. If you like trends then take a look at these:

Get sharp and watch the Steelers not only get the cover but the win as well!

 

Bucs at Panthers – Sunday, 1:00 PM ET

We thought the reign of FitzMagic was over. Whatever Faustian deal he had made in the offseason came with an expiration date, and once Jameis Winston took over we just figured the clock had struck midnight and Princess Ryan was now a pumpkin. Unfortunately for Bucs fans, Winston’s passing skills are only eclipsed by his proclivity for throwing picks. So last week he was yanked and in trotted the quasi-journeyman channeling Peyton Manning circa 2013, Ryan Fitzpatrick. And what do you know, Fitzy rekindled some of that ol’ black magic and brought the Bucs from an 18-point deficit to within striking distance of a victory over the Bengals but came up just short in their 37-34 setback.

Now Tampa hits the highway again and this time it’s a divisional game against the Carolina Panthers. The public loves the Cats because they beat up the Ravens pretty good last week and that is an indication, according to the great unwashed masses, that Carolina has it all together and is poised for a run. Malarkey, we say -- with a liberal dose of balderdash! The Panthers are a mediocre squad that beat a Baltimore team that is not nearly as good as they were in the early going. And let’s not forget that the Bucs have the No. 1 ranked passing offense in the NFL, while Carolina is in the lower half of the league in defending the pass.

As we always do before these NFL picks columns, we made up a line that we felt would be fair and one that would preclude us from wagering on either side. We decided that the Panthers should be 4-point favorites over the Bucs primarily due to the home-field advantage. When we clicked over to Sportsbook Review and scanned what the best online sportsbooks were dealing on this game, well let’s just say, we felt it move. Yes, we were indeed that excited about getting a touchdown head start and decided to hammer the Bucs this week and we suggest you do the same. Bet Tampa Bay +7 over the Panthers this Sunday afternoon.