By kickoff, PA online sportsbooks put the Pittsburgh Steelers as 14.5-point favorites against the Dallas Cowboys. The lone undefeated team versus a 2-6 squad down to their fourth-string quarterback didn’t unfold like the handicappers predicted.
The Steelers trailed the Cowboys 13-0 with 3:46 remaining in the first half. A late touchdown (missed PAT) and a fumble recovery that led to a field goal cut the deficit to 13-9.
Pittsburgh fans had a scare when Ben Roethlisberger left the game with a knee injury in the first half after throwing a TD pass to James Washington. He returned for the second half. The Steelers put up 15 points in the fourth quarter for the come-from-behind 24-19 win.
8-0 marks the best start in the history of the Steelers’ storied franchise. Steelers Twitter went through a range of emotions, but in the end, their team remains undefeated.
Steelers received a crazy majority of public support for Week 9
Betting splits from FanDuel as of Sunday morning:
- 84% of the money was on the Steelers (-14.5) to cover the spread
- 88% of the money was on the Steelers (-950) on the moneyline
- 79% of the money was on the OVER (43.5)
FanDuel’s Director of Publicity Kevin Hennessy said handle has been strong for the Steelers games recently. They cracked the Top 5 for handle for Sunday’s Week Eight games. Hennessy said:
“Part of this is due to typical local support in the Pennsylvania market, as well as the fact that they were playing a big game against division rivals. We anticipate support to continue to increase as they continue to win games.”
Other news from FanDuel on Friday morning included mentions of the only undefeated team in the NFL. The top three by bet in the Offensive Rookie of the Year market are Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Joe Burrow and Jonathon Taylor. But Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool (+2000) is FanDuel’s biggest liability in that market.
Pittsburgh betting popularity grows with wins
Public betting splits for Pittsburgh vs. Dallas at DraftKings as of Friday:
- 95% of the money was on the Steelers (-14) to cover the spread
- 96% of the money was on the Steelers (-910) on the moneyline
- 83% of the money was on the OVER (41.5)
DraftKings Director of Operations Johnny Avello told Play Pennsylvania that the Steelers have always been a popular team, but their undefeated record and penchant for covering has increased their betting base.
“No question about it,” said Avello when asked if handle has increased for Steelers games as they continue to win.
“They perform well as underdogs and favorites. When you have a team that is making you money covering the spread as a favorite and as an underdog when you are able to take them on a moneyline, they are going to become a fan favorite.”
At BetRivers, Pittsburgh was backed by 99% of the ML handle and 96% of the spread handle, the strongest early backing of any Week Nine team.
Ebron’s hurdle
The tight end Eric Ebron’s leap over the Cowboys gave the Steelers a 24-19 lead.
Nervous times for Steelers Twitter
Fans still celebrating that undefeated feeling
Undefeated and disrespected?
Colin Cowherd predicted 7 wins
Every week, PennsylvaniaOnlineCasino tracks Colin Cowherd’s Blazin’ 5 picks. (Spoiler alert: He’s not having a great year.)
Before the season started, here was his prediction for the AFC North.
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