Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs Betting Preview

>

 

— Sunday, December 26th Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a tough test in front of them on Sunday. They'll have to find a way to beat the Kansas City Chiefs, who have won seven straight games.

The Steelers are coming off of a win over the Tennessee Titans, but that doesn't quite compare. The AFC North title is still up for grabs, and a win here could be perfect for Pittsburgh. The question is, can they pull it off?

The Kansas City Chiefs are in firm control of the AFC West. A win here and a loss by Los Angeles will hand them the division. They won't be able to walk over the Steelers too easily, though.

Luckily for the Chiefs, they're playing at home, which will definitely help them here. They have one of the best offenses in the NFL; how will it hold up against the Pittsburgh defense?

Pittsburgh Steelers: Stopping Patrick Mahomes is a tall task

For the Pittsburgh Steelers to win this game, they'll need to stop Patrick Mahomes. Doing this requires some incredible defense, which the Steelers don't quite have.

On average, the Steelers allow 23.9 points per game, ranking 22nd in the NFL. They did, however, hold the Tennessee Titans to just 13 points. The thing is, the Titans' offense isn't as high-powered as the Chiefs.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to avoid turnovers. The Chiefs' defense is one of the best at creating turnovers this year.

Pittsburgh will also need to protect Ben Roethlisberger, something they've struggled to do this season. If Roethlisberger doesn't have time to throw downfield, this game will easily go over to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs: Can they cover the 7.5-point spread?

For us, the question isn't whether the Chiefs will win the game; it's more about the spread. Coming in as 7.5-point favorites might not seem like much, but it can be.

For instance, in their last game versus the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs only won by six points. Pittsburgh could keep this game close, especially if they focus on controlling the clock.

If the Chiefs are going to cover this spread, they'll need their offense firing on all cylinders. The only problem we see with that is that Pittsburgh could find a way to run the ball well. The Steelers have found ways to limit the output of high-scoring offenses before.

However, the Chiefs have the sixth-best scoring offense in the NFL. The Steelers could find a way to slow them down.

Our pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs

The Pittsburgh Steelers might not seem like much to some, but they have some talent on their roster. They're familiar with the Kansas City offense as well and can plan accordingly. They'll likely try to establish the running game early, to control the pace of the game.

From there, all they'll need to do is limit the output of Patrick Mahomes. We don't think the Steelers will win this game. However, we do believe they should cover the 7.5-point spread.

Our pick is the Pittsburgh Steelers +7.5 and the over.

Keep up with your latest NFL news coverage and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.