Ben Roethlisberger helped the Pittsburgh Steelers snap a four-game winless streak last Sunday with a strong fourth quarter that included his 55th career game-winning drive. Five of those have come this season, tying with Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers for most in the NFL. The Steelers (6-5-1) hope they won’t need more magic from Roethlisberger when they visit the Minnesota Vikings (5-7) on Thursday Night Football. Minnesota were victimized by a game-winning drive last Sunday, as Detroit scored a touchdown on the final play of regulation for its first win of 2021.
Kickoff from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET. Minnesota is a 3.5-point favorite in the latest Vikings vs. Steelers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 44.5. Before locking in any Steelers vs. Vikings picks or NFL predictions, make sure you see what SportsLine expert R.J. White has to say.
White, a CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor, ended the 2020 season on an 80-59 run on all NFL picks, returning more than $1,400 during that span. It’s no surprise, as White has cashed huge twice in the world’s most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest.
In addition, White has gone an amazing 38-19-3 on his last 60 picks involving Minnesota, returning over $1,600. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has broken down Vikings vs. Steelers from every angle and just locked in his against the spread pick and Thursday Night Football predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see White’s Vikings vs. Steelers expert picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Steelers vs. Vikings:
- Vikings vs. Steelers spread: Minnesota -3.5
- Vikings vs. Steelers over-under: 44.5 points
- Vikings vs. Steelers money line: Minnesota -170, Pittsburgh +145
- MIN: Vikings are 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 games as favorites
- PIT: Steelers are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 contests as road underdogs
Featured Game | Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Why the Vikings can cover
Minnesota is one of the top offensive teams in the NFL and ranks seventh in total yardage (384.9) and passing (271.7). Quarterback Kirk Cousins is sixth in the league with 3,353 passing yards and is tied for fifth with 25 touchdown tosses. The 33-year-old has thrown only three interceptions, the fewest among all starting quarterbacks, and has just one in his last seven contests.
Justin Jefferson has been Cousins’ favorite target this year and leads the Vikings with 78 catches and 1,209 yards, second in the NFL behind Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp (1,366). The 22-year-old Jefferson recorded a personal-best 182 yards in Minnesota’s loss at Detroit last Sunday to give him 2,609 career yards, moving him past Jerry Rice (2,497) for third-most by a player in his first two seasons during the Super Bowl era. Jefferson has five 100-yard performances this year, hitting the plateau in three of his last four games.
Why the Steelers can cover
Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh to two touchdowns and a field goal in the fourth quarter against the Ravens, completing 9-of-10 pass attempts for 129 yards while making a pair of scoring tosses to Diontae Johnson and a two-point conversion throw to Pat Freiermuth. His second TD pass left him one game-winning scoring drive away from tying Drew Brees and Peyton Manning for second-most in NFL history. Rookie Najee Harris ran for 71 yards on Sunday to increase his season total to 779, putting him sixth in the league in rushing.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers registered a season-high seven sacks to give them a league-leading 37 this season. Linebacker T.J. Watt notched a career-high 3.5 and is first in the NFL this year with 16, tying him with James Harrison (2008) for Pittsburgh’s single-season record. The 27-year-old has recorded 65.5 sacks over his first 72 career games, matching his brother J.J. Watt for second-most in league history in that span behind Hall-of-Famer Reggie White (80).
How to make Vikings vs. Steelers picks
For Thursday Night Football, White is leaning Over on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He’s sharing what it is and which side of the Steelers vs. Vikings spread to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins Steelers vs. Vikings on Thursday Night Football? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Steelers vs. Vikings spread you should jump on, all from the NFL expert who’s an amazing 38-19-3 on picks involving Minnesota, and find out.