It is, for West Virginia sports betting customers, almost heaven.
A dream NFL Week 7 game unfolds between the popular Pittsburgh Steelers and the host Tennessee Titans in a battle of unbeatens.
While West Virginia bettors also embrace the Battle of Ohio between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, along with the Washington Football Team hosting the Dallas Cowboys in an almost-for-first-place NFC East game, the Steelers-Titans is one of the year’s top battles.
There are three undefeated teams in the NFL. Two of them face off here.
“We opened at Pittsburgh -1.5 and we have been seeing more Pittsburgh money,” Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, told playwv.com.
“We will probably continue to see Pittsburgh support. By the time it goes off, you probably won’t be able to lay 1.5 on Pittsburgh; it may be 2.5.
“There are two schools of thought regarding how to bet this. If you like Pittsburgh, do you lay a moneyline price of -124 (at midweek) or lay a couple of points and try to cover the spread at -110?”
“On the Titans side, you may want to take the moneyline in a tight game like this if the price drifts up,” he added. “The moneyline comes into play for Titans bettors, the spread is a good consideration for Pittsburgh bettors.
“There is a lot of excitement early about that game.”
As there should be.
These are two teams that are easy to love.
NFL Week 7 showdown
The Steelers, a traditionally blue-collar, grind-it-out offense, have become more exotic through the air.
Pittsburgh shows the ability to pass the ball deep, flood several receivers to one side, and nurture the comeback of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was hurt most of last year. Big Ben is having a great year, with 11 touchdowns and only one interception.
Chase Claypool has emerged as a new deep threat to go with a talented receiving corps. Roethlisberger is able to get rid of the ball quickly and has received excellent line protection.
The Steelers just blew out the Cleveland Browns 38-7 in a game that was supposed to be much closer.
Tennessee has underrated star quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the league’s best running back, Derrick Henry. Not only did Henry unleash a 94-yard scoring run against the Houston Texans last week, he scored in overtime from the quarterback position. He lined up as QB, took the snap and slanted into the end zone for the overtime win.
The over-under for the game is 51.5.
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What to make of Bengals-Browns …
The Bengals are +3 and +3.5 at different junctures for DraftKings and FanDuel with an over-under of 50 for their game against the Browns.
The Bengals try to recover from a blown 21-0 lead and 31-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts last weekend. Cincinnati is 1-4-1 but a league-leading 5-1 against the spread and gets about a field goal in a divisional game.
Cleveland. What happened? The Browns were flying high when they visited Pittsburgh on the heels of four straight wins and a 4-1 record. They were blasted by the Steelers, and star quarterback Baker Mayfield was benched.
This is a gut-check game for the Browns. Are they the team likely to win nine or 10 games this season or will they spiral downward?
… And the NFC East
The Washington Football Team has lost five in a row, but plays the first-place 2-4 Dallas Cowboys as a mere +1 underdog. Avello said he would not be surprised if a sub-.500 record won the division. As the week kicks off, Washington is but one game off the NFC East lead. It’s anybody’s division, even though nobody wants it.
Washington did come to life late against the New York Giants and rallied to score an apparent game-tying touchdown in the final minute. But Riverboat Ron Rivera, Washington’s aggressive coach, opted for the win via potential two-point conversion rather than kicking the extra point and seeking overtime. The conversion failed.
That extended the team’s losing streak, but delighted Washington +2.5 backers at DraftKings WV Sportsbook, as the team covered for the second time this year. As for Dallas? The Cowboys haven’t covered a game this year and looked pedestrian with Andy Dalton at quarterback in Monday’s 38-10 shellacking from the Arizona Cardinals.
Washington is in the NFC Least basement but would climb to second with a victory on Sunday. Go figure.
Thursday’s matchup between the Giants and Philadelphia Eagles thus has meaning for Washington backers. Prop bettors, Miles Sanders and Zach Ertz of the Eagles won’t play. Darius Slayton is the key to the Giants offense, and he’s not 100%.
Wondering about the Baltimore Ravens, who are 5-1? They are on a bye and have been given the go-ahead on a state level to allow some fans in for their Week 8 matchup against the Steelers. The final decision will come from the mayor’s office.
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Questions surrounding Week 7
Can the Arizona Cardinals take another step up against the unbeaten Seattle Seahawks? This is just one of the questions WV online betting fans need to consider heading into NFL Week 7.
The Cardinals had an unusual stretch of three straight road games and captured two of them, including a convincing 38-10 trouncing of the Dallas Cowboys Monday night.
The task gets more difficult now against the Seahawks, as the Cardinals are in the toughest NFL division. If the 4-2 Cardinals were in the NFC East, they would have a two-game lead.
On paper, this is a delightful shootout at 56.5, tied with the Detroit Lions–Atlanta Falcons game for the league’s highest projected point total this week.
Can the 1-4 Los Angeles Chargers show they are much better than their record? Heartbreaking losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints, when the potential game-winning field goal hit the upright, are on their ledger. They are due to win. The line does you no favors this week as the Chargers host Jacksonville, but they can be used in some other moneyline parlays.
Can you believe that the Buffalo Bills, losers of two straight, are still double-digit road favorites against the New York Jets? The early Wednesday number at DraftKings and FanDuel was almost two touchdowns.
The last time these teams gathered at MetLife Stadium, in Week 1 of the 2019 season, the Jets were -2.
What a difference a year makes.
Can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers follow up on their convincing 38-10 pounding of the previously unbeaten Green Bay Packers? Tom Brady and Co. are less than a field-goal favorite against the Las Vegas Raiders, who have beaten the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs already.
If you took the Raiders +7.5 wins at DraftKings and FanDuel before the season began, a collection is probable if the Raiders win here.
San Francisco and New England meet in a head-scratcher. The host Patriots were toppled by the Denver Broncos last week, while the injury-ravaged 49ers looked rejuvenated in defeating the Los Angeles Rams.
