Steelers match up well with Saints

The New Orleans Saints suffered their biggest setback of the season in last Sunday’s 30-17 loss as 12-point home favorites against the Cleveland Browns. Sean Payton’s crew looks to bounce back in this Sunday night’s home clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have a 1-2 spread record in their last three games.
Sports books opened the game as a pick ’em, while first setting the ‘total’ at 44. Early wagers on the Saints shifted them to be one-point home favorites on most NFL betting boards.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 37-of-56 passes for 356 yards in last Sunday’s defeat. The four-time Pro Bowler was intercepted four times during his squad’s 36 minutes of possession.
New Orleans Marques Colston logged a season-high 10 catches for 112 yards. The 27-year-old took in his first touchdown of the year with 1:43 remaining to lift the game’s 47 combined points ‘over’ the ‘total’ of 44.
The Saints’ defense allowed a stingy 210 yards, with 85 of them coming through the air. Linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar notched New Orleans’ only sack, the Boston College alum’s first of the season.
The lopsided affair’s result dropped the Saints to 1-3 ATS in their four home dates, with the ‘total’ split at 2-2. Brees and Co. have notched 17.8 PPG and 370.8 YPG in that span.
New Orleans’ rushing depth remains thin with running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush ruled out for Sunday’s game, with ankle and leg injuries http://www.donbest.com/nfl/injuries/, respectively.
Pittsburgh squeaked out a 23-22 win as a three-point road favorite in last Sunday’s duel with the Miami Dolphins. Steelers kicker Jeff Reed hit an 18-yard field goal with 2:26 remaining for the game’s final points, which followed a controversial goal-line fumble awarded back to Pittsburgh.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger connected on 19-of-27 attempts for 302 yards in his second straight start. The Ohio native guided his offense to 15 first downs during its 31 minutes of possession.
Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward caught one of Roethlisberger’s two touchdowns, finishing with seven receptions for a season-high 131 yards. Ward’s mate Mike Wallace notched the team’s other score, taking in a 53-yard strike.
The Steelers’ defense gave up 313 yards, with only 64 allowed on the ground. Linebacker Larry Foote logged Pittsburgh’s sole sack of the game, while defensive backs Troy Polamalu and Bryant McFadden united for 10 tackles.
The close battle’s 45 combined points jumped above the ‘total’ of 40 ½, bringing the ‘over’ to 3-1 in Pittsburgh’s last four games. Both foes allowed no touchdowns in the red zone, with each team making three trips inside the opposition’s 20-yard line.
Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley is listed as “probable” against New Orleans, recovering from a hamstring injury. The Michigan alum has registered 3 ½ sacks, second behind team leader James Harrison who has five.
Pittsburgh went 1-2 ATS in its three games on turf last season, with the ‘over’ cashing at 3-0.
The Steelers won a 38-31 thriller as a 6 ½-point home favorite in 2006 against New Orleans, the most recent meeting between the clubs. Roethlisberger tossed three touchdowns, while Brees threw for 398 yards.
Sunday’s kickoff is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. (PT), with NBC providing the national television coverage from inside New Orleans’ Louisiana Superdome.
Both squads face divisional foes as part of next week’s league slate. New Orleans will travel to meet the Carolina Panthers, while Pittsburgh visits the Cincinnati Bengals.