The countdown to the end of the NFL 2021 regular season begins on Thursday night when Week 14 gets underway with a cross-Conference clash between two sides very much in the hunt for a wildcard spot as the Minnesota Vikings host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Both these teams are currently on the outside of the wildcard places looking in but a win here will strengthen the claim of whoever gets it. Given how bunched the league is this year defeat is not an option for either.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings go into this match with a 5-7 record which includes a disastrous defeat to the Detroit Lions last weekend when some really questionable plays combined to condemn them to a loss which could be the one which negatively impacts their playoff chances the most. That means they have now lost their last two matches and if you think you are going to need a winning record to make the postseason in the NFC, the Vikings have to win four of their last five and might need to win all five to make it.
There has been a bit of talk about the Vikings offense in recent times but it seems to have gone unnoticed that they have conceded at least 20 points in each of their last seven matches and often plenty more than seven points. They are going to need to get that under control if they are going to make the playoffs. If they can do that then the plays that Kirk Cousins does make, even if there is a safety first element to the successful ones, will mean much more and should lead to wins.
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Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers looked to be going along quite nicely when they were 5-3 after eight matches and on a four match winning burst. They then ran into the Detroit Lions and had their own problems in a tie which exposed all of the problems they are either facing right now, or are going to face come the end of the season if as expected this is the last campaign Ben Roethlisberger suits up. Two losses followed that tie but they did manage to get the better of the Baltimore Ravens last week, although they were one play from losing that too.
A lot of the Pittsburgh issues this season have been regarding injuries and while there are obvious concerns over the capabilities of Roethlisberger these days, especially producing big plays, the absence of the likes of T.J. Watt has hurt the Steelers a lot more than anything the offense might or might not have done. Nevertheless, the Steelers are more than competitive in the race for a wildcard spot and a win here would put pressure on a number of teams over the remainder of the weekend.
Betting
This isn’t an easy match to bet on. I can’t bring myself to bet on a team that has just lost to the Detroit Lions but regular readers will know I’m not huge on backing road sides in these Thursday night games, especially ones who were a bodged play away from coming in here off the back of three straight defeats. I’d side with the Vikings if a gun was put to my head but thankfully it isn’t so I’ll look at the other markets for a bet on this one.
That comes in the form of the rushing yards line for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back Najee Harris which is 70.5. When you look at what he has done this season then you would suggest that line is fair enough but there were signs when he ran for more than 70 yards against the Baltimore Ravens last week that the rookie might be coming to the party. The Vikings rank fourth worst in the league against the run and on a short week with a few injuries you would imagine the early gameplan at the very least will be to ground it and pound it and expose a defensive line which is riddled with injuries and inactivity. I’m not sure which way this will go but I’m confident Harris can go beyond 70.5 yards on the ground.
Tips
Back N.Harris – Over 70.5 rushing yards for a 3/10 stake at 1.90 with Coral
Back him here:
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