Football Sports Betting

Any football betting fan that’s seen or heard anything about the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers this year is that the defense has crumbled late in every game so far this year, hence the mediocre 2-2 record.  And while that football betting statement is not entirely untrue the teams multiple fourth quarter meltdowns have as much to do with the offense as the defense.

True, any time you lose a player like S Troy Polamalu, it’s going to hurt your performance in the football betting.  Polamalu is especially important to the blitz-crazy Steelers because he’s a giant safety valve that allows the Steelers to pressure the QB knowing he’ll clean up any mistakes deep down the field.

But even more responsible for the lukewarm start to the sports betting season has been the offense’s inability to move the ball on the ground.  Without someone to ground out first downs in the second half the Steelers football formula doesn’t work.

Big Ben has been terrific passing the ball, but you don’t want to be throwing every down in the second half with a double-digit lead –too risky.  And the Steelers have handed the ball off in a series of three and outs in late going of games this football sports betting season giving the enemy more possessions late in the game and decent field position.

That is until their week four win over the Chargers.  The wheels still almost came off in this 38-28 victory, the biggest reason why they didn’t was Rashard Mendenhall’s 165 yards on the ground, many in the fourth quarter.    If Mendenhall and a healthy Willie Parker can continue to run the ball late in games than this Steeler team should pull itself back into the playoff mix.