It's an odd-numbered week, so perhaps we'll see the "good" version of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have been the quintessential "every other week" team thus far, and not just in terms of alternating wins and losses. They have had some of the most head-scratching results of any team in the league.
For example, from Weeks 2 through 4, the Steelers were blown out in Baltimore (26-6), annihilated the Panthers on the road (37-19) and then lost at home to the pathetic Bucs (27-24). The Steelers (2-4 ATS, 3-3 over) will need to become more consistent to make the playoffs. The AFC North has arguably been the best division in the NFL thus far. It's the only one that doesn't have a team with a losing record, and the Steelers are the lone team in the division with a negative point differential.
The Houston Texans (4-2 ATS, 3-3 over) have lost three of four, and their 3-3 overall record is a bit misleading. The teams they have beaten (Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills) are a combined 4-13. The teams that have defeated Houston (New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts) are a combined 12-6. The Texans are certainly better than the 2-14 disaster of a year ago, but they need to prove they can beat a team that isn't at the bottom of the league.
According to ESPN PickCenter, the public is backing the underdog Texans at a 59 percent rate. It's pretty unusual for the public to be on the underdog, so clearly there has been a reaction to Pittsburgh's awful performance last week.
Let's go to Vegas and get some insight from our panel of experts:
Matchup: Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers
Spread: Opened Pittsburgh -4, now Pittsburgh -3
Total: Opened 44, now 44.5