The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to the U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday night to take on the Minnesota Vikings in a non-conference matchup.
The Steelers are third in the AFC North with a 6-5-1 record and are coming off a 20-19 home win over the Baltimore Ravens. Ben Roethlisberger finished 21-of-31 for 236 yards with two touchdowns.
The Vikings are second in the NFC North with a 5-7 record and are riding a two-game losing streak after a road loss against the Detroit Lions 29-27. Kirk Cousins was 30-of-40 for 340 yards with two touchdowns.
Steelers at Vikings Betting Preview
Pittsburgh Steelers Preview: Wide Out Stepping Up
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson has been playing extremely well this season for the Steelers as he has 76 receptions on 120 targets for 914 yards (12 yards per catch) with six receiving touchdowns and three rushing attempts for 36 yards (12 yards per carry).
In his last game against Baltimore, Johnson finished with eight catches on 11 targets for 105 yards (13.1 yards per reception) with two receiving touchdowns.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been an average defensive team this season as they are giving up 23.8 points per game. In their previous game against the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh allowed 19 points on 326 total yards of offense (219 passing, 107 rushing).
The Ravens were able to move the football as they went 8-of-16 on third down attempts. Pittsburgh needs to defend better against the run as they allowed 4.3 rushing yards per attempt.
Minnesota Vikings Preview: Double J
The Minnesota Vikings have been getting the ball in the hands of wide receiver Justin Jefferson as he has recorded 78 catches on 112 targets for 1,209 yards (15.5 yards per reception) with seven touchdown receptions as well as four carries for 14 yards (3.5 yards per rushing attempt).
In his last game against Detroit, Jefferson had 11 receptions on 14 targets for 182 yards (16.5 yards per catch) with one receiving touchdown and a four-yard rushing attempt.
The defense of the Minnesota Vikings has been playing decently well this season as they are allowing 25.4 points per game. In their previous game against the Detroit Lions, Minnesota gave up 29 points on 372 total yards of offense (272 passing, 100 rushing).
The Lions struggled to move the ball as they went just 2-of-11 on third down attempts and 1-of-3 on fourth down tries. Minnesota needs to work on getting a little bit better against the opposing rushing attack as Detroit averaged 3.7 yards per rushing attempt.
Who to Bet on Steelers at Vikings
The top sportsbooks across the entire United States are currently listing this game as the Minnesota Vikings as a home favorite by a field goal.
With Adam Theilen (ankle) listed as questionable on a short week, the Steelers could figure out how to double-team Justin Jefferson. Minnesota has not covered in their previous six games listed as a home favorite.
All in all, go with the Pittsburgh Steelers to cover the spread and get a couple of points on the road here.