Lions vs. Steelers: NFL Week 10 betting odds, preview, and pick

The last winless team in the NFL this season – the Detroit Lions – will be fresh off their bye week when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field this Sunday. The Lions have endured some close calls this year, but Week 8 was not one of them, as the Philadelphia Eagles handed them a 44-6 defeat at home.

Meanwhile, the Steelers are in search of their fifth straight victory. However, they’ve been involved in some tight contests with below-.500 squads in that span, including their last-gasp 29-27 triumph over the Bears on Monday night.

Let’s dig into this Week 10 affair and see which side bettors should be on.

Detroit Lions (0-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3), 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX

Comparing the quarterbacks

The Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger and the Lions’ Jared Goff have not been poles apart in terms of statistics this year. “Big Ben” is 19th in passer rating at 90.0, while Goff is 24th at 85.3.

Both quarterbacks rely mainly on the short passing game, as Roethlisberger is averaging a modest 6.6 yards per attempt, while Goff is at 6.5. They face a nearly-identical challenge through the air on Sunday, as Big Ben matches up with Detroit’s 14th-rated pass defense (244.4 yards allowed per game), while Goff takes on Pittsburgh’s 15th-rated pass stoppers (244.5 yards allowed per game).

This game may be won on the ground

Success in the running game could be critical in this contest, especially with the forecast calling for frigid conditions and potential precipitation.

The Lions attack opponents with the tailback tandem of Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift to modest success, as they rank 26th in rushing yards per game (93.1). But they’ll match up with a vulnerable Steelers’ defense, which is 15th in rushing yards allowed per game (109.8).

Najee Harris has taken the vast majority of Pittsburgh’s rushing attempts in his rookie season, outpacing next-leading runner Roethlisberger 150 to 11. This approach has resulted in the Steelers ranking 28th in rushing yards per game (88.8) through nine weeks.

Yet Harris could have a field day against Detroit’s porous run stoppers, which allow the fourth-most rushing yards per game in the NFL (134.5).

Lions vs. Steelers injury report

Lions and Steelers betting trends

• The Lions are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss
• The Lions are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games following a double-digit loss at home
• The Steelers are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games as a home favorite
• The Under is 5-1 in the Lions’ last six games overall
• The Under is 37-15-1 in the Steelers’ last 53 games against a team with a losing record

The verdict

It’s hard to be confident that the Lions will break into the win column this Sunday, but taking more than a full touchdown with Detroit in what should be a low-scoring game appears to be the right idea.

Score prediction: Steelers 20, Lions 17

NFL pick: Lions +9, Under 43.5