Monday Night Football: Buccaneers Host the Steelers

Buccaneers Host the Winless Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet on Monday Night Football to end Week 3 of the NFL Season. Raymond James Stadium will host the primetime affair. Kickoff is set for 8:15 pm EST.

Oddsmakers opened the Steelers as -2.5-point favorites versus the Buccaneers, while the game's total opened at 49.5. The line is now Tampa Bay as a 1.5-point favorite. The total is up to 54.5.

It has hardly been a smooth start for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have yet to crack the win column, and have a fractured clubhouse to boot.The team has been embroiled in controversy swirling around the team's top offensive playmakers.

The Steelers will face a red-hot quarterback for the second time in as many weeks. Ryan Fitzpatrick is as hot as they come. Last week they faced Patrick Mahomes who had a field day.

Star running back Le'Veon Bell continues to be a holdout for Pittsburgh. THEN All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown caused a stir for being a no-show one day after last week's 42-37 home loss to Kansas City.

Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is the first player to open the season with consecutive 400-yard, four-touchdown performances.

The Steelers Have to Fix the Defense

The Steelers are 0-1-1 to start the season. Despite the absence of Bell and Brown's brief walkout, Pittsburgh's biggest issues are on the other side of the ball.The defense is a far cry from a "Steel Curtain".

The Steelers failed to protect a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead en route to a tie at Cleveland in the season opener. Then they were carved up by Kansas City and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He threw for 326 yards and six touchdowns in Sunday's shootout.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger rebounded from a five-turnover debacle in Week 1.  He did this by throwing for 452 yards and three scores last weekend. JuJu Smith-Schuster hauled in 13 passes for 121 yards and a TD.

Running back James Conner was limited to 17 yards on eight carries last week. He rumbled for 135 and two touchdowns in Week 1.

Brown had nine catches in each of the first two contests this year. He has 70 receptions and seven TDs in his last eight games versus NFC foes.

Fitzpatrick is Playing Lights Out for Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are 2-0 on this young NFL season. Fitzpatrick was supposed to simply mind the store while starting quarterback Jameis Winston was serving a three-game suspension. All he has done is throw for eight touchdowns and a league-high 819 yards. The job is his - for now.

Mike Evans has been the favorite target of Fitzpatrick with 17 catches for 230 yards and two scores.

Tampa Bay's defense received a boost when defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and cornerback Brent Grimes were full participants in Friday's practice.

Fitzpatrick is bidding to become the first QB in NFL history with at least 400 passing yards in three straight games.

PREDICTION: Steelers 30, Buccaneers 26

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Recent Form

Name	Record	ATS	Offense	Defense	Diff	ATS Home	ATS Away	OU Record	OU Home	OU Away
Pittsburgh	0-1-1	0-2	29.00	31.50	-2.5	0-1	0-1	2-0	1-0	1-0
Tampa Bay	2-0	2-0	37.50	30.50	7	1-0	1-0	2-0	1-0	1-0

Power Stats

Yards Per Point

Name	Offense	Defense	Differential
PIT	16.33	12.32	4.01
TB	12.87	14.54	-1.67

Yards Per Pass

Name	Offense	Defense	Differential
PIT	12.18	12.42	-0.24
TB	16.88	10.46	6.42

Yards Per Rush

Name	Offense	Defense	Differential
PIT	4.00	4.83	-0.83
TB	2.72	3.62	-0.9

Team Records

Pittsburgh Steelers

Name	Record	Home	Away	ATS	ATS Home	ATS Away	Offense	Defense	Diff
Overall	0-1-1	0-1	0-0-1	0-2	0-1	0-1	29.00	31.50	-2.50
vs Conf	0-1-1	0-1	0-0-1	0-2	0-1	0-1	29.00	31.50	-2.50
vs Div	0-0-1	0-0	0-0-1	0-1	0-0	0-1	21.00	21.00	0.00
Last 3	0-1-1	0-1	0-0-1	0-2	0-1	0-1	29.00	31.50	-2.50

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Name	Record	Home	Away	ATS	ATS Home	ATS Away	Offense	Defense	Diff
Overall	2-0	1-0	1-0	2-0	1-0	1-0	37.50	30.50	7.00
vs Conf	2-0	1-0	1-0	2-0	1-0	1-0	37.50	30.50	7.00
vs Div	1-0	0-0	1-0	1-0	0-0	1-0	48.00	40.00	8.00
Last 3	2-0	1-0	1-0	2-0	1-0	1-0	37.50	30.50	7.00

Supergrid

Title	Stat	Rank	Stat	Rank
Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense	29.00	9	30.50	27
Awy Team Road Passing vs Home Team Home Passing Defense	313.00	7	321.00	23
Away Team Road Rushing vs Home Team Home Rushing Defense	159.00	3	91.00	8
Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense	37.50	2	31.50	28
Hme Team Home Passing vs Away Team Road Passing Defense	393.00	3	150.00	4
Home Team Home Rushing vs Away Team Road Rushing Defense	43.00	24	177.00	27

Head To Head Summary

Name	Record	ATS	OU	Score	Rush	YPR	PA	CP	PY	TY	TO +/-
Pittsburgh	4-2	4-2	2-4	19.83	127.33	4.09	24.50	63.27	186.50	313.83	2.17
Tampa Bay	2-4	2-4	2-4	12.67	88.33	3.56	36.00	56.02	197.50	285.83	2.00

Head To Head Detail

Date	Away	Home	Score	Line	Total	OU Result	ARY	APY	ATY	ATT	HRY	HPY	HTY	HTT	Away Team Attempts	Home Team Attempts	Away Team Completions	Home Team Completions
Sep 28, 2014	TB	PIT	27-24	63	287	350	1	85	305	390	1
Sep 26, 2010	PIT	TB	38-13	201	186	387	2	75	228	303	2
Dec 3, 2006	TB	PIT	3-20	110	144	254	4	76	191	267	1
Dec 23, 2002	PIT	TB	17-7	94	233	327	1	74	203	277	3
Oct 21, 2001	PIT	TB	17-10	220	124	344	3	64	214	278	1
Dec 13, 1998	PIT	TB	3-16	88	80	168	5	144	109	253	1
Dec 24, 1989	PIT	TB	31-22				0				0
Oct 30, 1983	TB	PIT	12-17				0				0
Nov 9, 1980	PIT	TB	24-21				0				0
Dec 5, 1976	TB	PIT	0-42				0				0

NFL Betting Odds & Trends

Pittsburgh Steelers
Pitt is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 18-6-1 SU in its last 25 games
Pittsburgh is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 6-0-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Pittsburgh's last 23 games on the road
Pitt is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Pitt is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Bucs are 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Tampa Bay is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 12 games at home
Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

Team Last 5 Games

Pittsburgh Steelers

Date	Opponent	score	Result	line	ATS Result	offensive rush yards	offensive passing yards	offensive total yards	defensive rush yards	defensive passing yards	defensive total yards	turnovers	Location
Sep 16, 2018	KC	37-42	L	-4/52.5	L/O	33	442	475	127	322	449	-1	H
Sep 9, 2018	CLE	21-21	T	-3.5/41	L/O	159	313	472	177	150	327	5	A
Jan 14, 2018	JAC	42-45	L	-7/40.5	L/O	83	462	545	164	214	378	2	H
Dec 31, 2017	CLE	28-24	W	-5/38.5	L/O	124	224	348	102	272	374	0	H
Dec 25, 2017	HOU	34-6	W	-9/45.5	W/U	104	226	330	176	51	227	-2	A

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Date	Opponent	score	Result	line	ATS Result	offensive rush yards	offensive passing yards	offensive total yards	defensive rush yards	defensive passing yards	defensive total yards	turnovers	Location
Sep 16, 2018	PHI	27-21	W	3/46.5	W/O	43	393	436	91	321	412	0	H
Sep 9, 2018	NO	48-40	W	10/49.5	W/O	112	417	529	43	432	475	-2	A
Dec 31, 2017	NO	31-24	W	6/50	W/O	110	345	455	92	231	323	2	H
Dec 24, 2017	CAR	19-22	L	10/46.5	W/U	66	326	392	115	140	255	2	A
Dec 18, 2017	ATL	21-24	L	7/49.5	W/U	84	289	373	201	209	410	1	H

Next up:
Pittsburgh home to Baltimore Sunday, September 30
Tampa Bay at Chicago Sunday, September 30

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