>The Pittsburgh Steelers have a forecast 56% chance to win against The Los Angeles Chargers with a spread of -2.5/2.5 and an over/under of 48.5. The Pittsburgh Steelers are 0 – 0 against The Los Angeles Chargers in the 2021-22 Season.
— Sunday, November 21st Pittsburgh Steelers @ Los Angeles Chargers
Two teams in the thick of the AFC playoff race meet up on Sunday night as the 5-4 Los Angeles Chargers host the 5-3-1 Pittsburgh Steelers. The game features a future Hall of Fame quarterback going up against one of the league’s young guns, looking to take the next step. The kickoff at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles is set for 8:20 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised by NBC.
The Steelers have historically dominated this series, winning 24 of 34 matchups, including a 24-17 win in Los Angeles in 2019. The teams have split the last four matchups, but Pittsburgh leads 10-3 over the last 15 seasons. Ben Roethlisberger is 6-3 against the Chargers, including a 3-1 mark on the road.
Big Ben Back in Saddle
The Steelers welcome Roethlisberger back from the COVID-19 list after he missed last Sunday’s lackluster tie against the Detroit Lions. Mason Rudolph started that game with less than 24 hours’ notice and threw for 242 yards with an interception and a touchdown.
Big Ben has 1,986 yards on the season with ten touchdowns and four interceptions. He helped the Steelers to four straight wins before last week’s tie, and in those wins, Roethlisberger threw for six touchdowns with no interceptions.
Running back Najee Harris is sixth in the league in rushing with 646 yards. He averages 3.7 yards per game and has four touchdowns. Harris ran for 105 yards against the Lions and has surpassed 60 yards in six straight games.
The Steelers defense will have to be up to the challenge without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick who is on the COVID list, and linebacker T.J. Watt who has a leg injury.
Chargers Looking to Stay in Race
The Chargers have lost three of four after surging into first place in the AFC West. Those setbacks have them as one of seven teams in the AFC with five wins, battling for two playoff spots. Los Angeles has the worst run defense in the league, and star defensive end Joey Bosa missed practice all week while on the COVID list.
Second-year pro Justin Herbert has thrown for 2,545 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season. In the last four games, he has thrown four interceptions and completed under 60 percent of his passes. When Herbert goes over 300 yards passing in a game, the Chargers are 3-1 this season.
Austin Ekeler is a dual-threat for the Chargers with 523 rushing yards and 340 receiving yards. Combined, he has nine touchdowns on the season and has scored in six games this season. Ekeler has been held under a combined 100 yards in the last two games after going over 120 yards in three of the previous four outings.
Wideout Mike Williams has just ten catches for 137 yards in the last four games after going for 165 yards against Cleveland in Week 6. Keenan Allen leads the team with 65 catches for 692 yards, but he has just two touchdowns, four less than Williams. In the last two games, he has a combined 20 catches for 202 yards.
Betting Analysis
- Pittsburgh Steelers +5.5 (-110). Money line +200
- Los Angeles Chargers -5.5 (-110) Money line -250
- Total Points: 47.5. Over 105. Under -115
The line didn’t move at all when the Steelers activated Roethlisberger, as the loss of Fitzpatrick and Watt has a bigger significance. The Steelers will have to find a way to handle the Chargers’ offense, both running and passing. The Chargers might have to face some crowd noise in their own stadium the way Pittsburgh fans travel, and they need to slow down Harris to pick up the win.
Betting Pick: Chargers -5.5 (-110)
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