We previously examined the low-scoring phenomenon in NFL primetime games this year, and this week's installment of Thursday Night Football offers up a doozy of a game with Patriots vs. Steelers.
The game opened with the lowest OVER/UNDER total of the season at 31.5, which would be the lowest NFL total since the 2006 season. The lowest recorded total in NFL history is 28, which is shared by a pair of games from 1993.
The OVER/UNDER for Patriots vs. Steelers is currently .
Our live odds are dynamic and reflect the updated betting line for Patriots vs. Steelers on TNF.
Patriots vs. Steelers betting line: Point spread, moneyline & total for TNF
Check out live odds for Thursday Night Football:
The Patriots are coming off a 6-0 loss at home to the Chargers. The Steelers lost QB Kenny Pickett (ankle) in Sunday's disappointing 24-10 loss to the Cardinals. How's Bailey Zappe vs. Mitch Trubisky sound for a sizzling matchup between starting QBs?
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Patriots OVER/UNDER betting trends
What has happened to head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien in New England? The Patriots average an NFL worst 12.3 points per game. That's down from 21.4 a season ago.
To his credit, O'Brien recently took the blame for New England's struggles, trying to shield Mac Jones from even more public criticism.
Nobody was expecting an all-pro performance from Jones, who could be on his way out of town (and the league?) at season's end. But Jones was serviceable last season with a shade under 3,000 yards passing, 14 TDs, and 11 TDs. This season, he'd thrown picks (12) than touchdowns (10) before getting pulled for Zappe heading into Sunday's game against the Chargers.
The Patriots have scored 10 or fewer points in six games this season. Check out their last three:
- Chargers 6 Patriots 0
- Giants 10 Patriots 7
- Colts 10 Patriots 6
That's futility personified whether it's been Jones or Zappe under center. The Patriots are 3-9-0 to the OVER this season, and only one team has fared worse ...
Steelers OVER/UNDER betting trends
The Steelers are 2-10-0 to the OVER this year. Pittsburgh ranks 28th of 32 NFL teams in scoring at 16 points per contest. The Steelers also struggle with inconsistency at the quarterback position.
Prior to getting hurt against the Cardinals, Pickett had thrown for one touchdown in his last seven games. He's only thrown six all season to go with four interceptions.
It's hard to view Trubisky as an upgrade. He's thrown for two TDs and two picks in spot duty this year. It strains credulity that Trubisky was picked second in the 2017 NFL Draft while Patrick Mahomes dropped to No. 10.
The good news, if there is any, is that both OVERs have come at home for Pittsburgh. They'll host the Pats on TNF.
Related: How did sportsbooks handle record-low CFB totals for Iowa this season?
Could Patriots vs. Steelers be the lowest OVER/UNDER total in NFL history?
Per StatMuse, the lowest OVER/UNDER total offered on an NFL game was 28. It's happened twice, and both games were played on Dec. 26, 1993. Here's how they finished:
- Lions 20, Bears 14 (wind chill -8, winds of 13 mph at Soldier Field)
- Patriots 38, Colts 0 (wind chill 9 degrees, winds of 23 mph at Foxboro Stadium)
More recently, on Oct. 22, 2006, the Browns and Broncos had a game-time total of 31. That game managed to go UNDER, as the Browns won 17-7.
Prior to that, there were multiple games late in the 2005 season with game-time totals of 30.5.
Barring any key injuries ahead of TNF, it's hard to imagine Patriots vs. Steelers coming in as the lowest total in NFL history. But it will be fun to monitor! Caesars Sportsbook was among the books dealing 30 in early Week 14 wagering.
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