NFL Week 6 Odds For Steelers vs. Chargers: Can Hodges Hold PIT Together?

With a 26-23 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers sit in unfamiliar territory at 1-4. It marks only the second time in the last 31 seasons they lost four of their first five games.

To salvage their season, the Steelers will turn to undrafted rookie free agent quarterback Devlin Hodges. Quarterback Mason Rudolph took a hit to the helmet/chin area from Ravens safety Earl Thomas which rendered him motionless on the Heinz Field turf. Rudolph was diagnosed with a concussion and released from the hospital on Sunday.

Most online betting sites in Pennsylvania have the Steelers at +6.5 for their Sunday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Pittsburgh will be headed to the West Coast for the away game.

PA betting lines for Pittsburgh Steelers vs. LA Chargers

Ready to bet on the Steelers? Here is a look at the available spreads, moneylines, and totals at Pennsylvania betting sites SugarHouse, BetRivers, FOX Bet, and FanDuel. (Last updated Oct. 11):

Steelers vs. Chargers preview

The Chargers and the Steelers both entered the NFL season with legitimate Super Bowl hopes. The 2-3 Chargers are still looking for a hitting-on-all-cylinders victory. They are coming off a loss to the Broncos (their first win in 308 days).

It was one of quarterback Phillip Rivers’ worst games. His 4.4 yards per attempt ranked as one of the lowest in his sixteen-year career. Yes, he’s fifth in the NFL in passing yards this season with 1,465, but his other numbers are middle-of-the-pack.

The Chargers still have their veteran quarterback. The Steelers record shows how much they miss theirs. The Black and Gold lost Ben Roethlisberger for the season with an elbow injury and their backup quarterback suffered a scary concussion on Sunday. Taking over for Rudolph, Hodges went 7-9 for 68 yds.

The Chargers have an issue of turnovers in goal-to-go scenarios, with four takeaways so far this season. Rivers ranks fifth overall in passing with 1,465 yards this season. His favorite target, wide receiver Keenan Allen, has been on the receiving end of three of Rivers’ seven passing touchdowns.

The Chargers defense ranks ninth overall with 18.8 PPG, nine forced fumbles, and 12 sacks. They will look to make life miserable for Hodges, who will most likely get the nod for his first career start.

It’s a good news/bad news view on the Steelers defense. Their defense picked off Lamar Jackson three times on Sunday, however, they blew two fourth-quarter leads. The Steelers defense is tied for the league lead with 12 takeaways. They are fifth in turnover differential at +5, and third in the NFL with 19 sacks. But they are still 1-4.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Steelers: A look back

Hodges 21-yard run set up Chris Boswell’s go-ahead field goal with 2:41 left in the game. However, Jackson, with the aid of roughing the passer penalty, put the Ravens in field goal range to have Justin Tucker tie it with 14 seconds left. Tucker finished off the Steelers with a game-winning 46-yd field goal in overtime.

At PlaySugarHouse and BetRivers, the Steelers closed as three-point underdogs to division rival Baltimore. The spread early in the week was Ravens -3.5, but closed at -3. Early Steelers bettors got a win, but most bettors pushed, with the Ravens kicking a game-winning field goal in overtime.

Pittsburgh Steelers Week 6 betting numbers to know

The total has gone under in eight of Pittsburgh’s last 12 games. It’s a number to keep an eye on with an undrafted rookie quarterback getting his first start against a top-level defense. The total has gone under in five of Pittsburgh’s last six games against an opponent in the AFC conference.

Here are some other numbers on the Steelers to consider:

• 2-2-1 ATS this season
• 0-5 straight up in their last five road games
• 4,283 yards and 32 touchdown passes. These are the numbers Hodges posted during his final college season at FCS school Samford en route to winning the Walter Payton Award.

Los Angeles Chargers Week 6 betting numbers to know

The total has gone under in four of LA Chargers’ last five games.

Here are some other numbers on the Steelers to consider:

• 1-3-1 ATS this season
• 0-2-1 at home this season
• 1-5 ATS in their last six home games against Pittsburgh