Steelers vs. Vikings: TNF odds market update

With exactly one month remaining in the 2021 NFL regular season, two fringe playoff teams will set the stage for Week 14, as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings battle on Thursday Night Football.

The Steelers currently own a 6-5-1 record, good for third in the AFC North and the No. 8 spot in the conference playoff standings.

The Vikings, at 5-7, rank ninth in the NFC and sit second in the NFC North, behind the 9-3 Green Bay Packers.

In Week 13, Minnesota fell to the 1-10-1 Detroit Lions in a 29-27 defeat, which marked Minnesota's seventh one-possession loss of the season.

The Vikes will enter Thursday's matchup as a 3.5-point favorite, but are 0-2 when favored at home this season.

Let's explore how the public is betting the moneyline, point spread, and totals at TwinSpires Sports ahead of Week 14's Thursday Night Football matchup.

With Minnesota riding a two-game losing streak and star receiver Adam Thielen sidelined with an ankle injury, bettors are siding with a Pittsburgh road win.

The Steelers came from behind to defeat AFC North leader Baltimore, 20-19, last Sunday, which snapped a three-game winless streak.

Nearly 60% of tickets and 88% of handle are backing the Steelers to win outright in Minneapolis on Thursday.

The Vikings and Steelers are tied at 9-9 in 18 head-to-head games, but Pittsburgh has won four of the past five matchups. 

Interestingly, Thursday's battle will mark just the second time Ben Roethlisberger and Kirk Cousins have met on the gridiron. Their first meeting was a 38-16 win for Pittsburgh over Cousins and the Washington Football Team in 2016.

Spread bettors also expect the Steelers to dish out a tough battle on Thursday, as 65% of tickets and 80% of handle favor Pittsburgh to cover the 3.5-point spread. 

The Steelers are 4-1 against the spread in their last five road games versus teams with a losing home record and 4-1-1 ATS in their last six Thursday night matchups.

Minnesota is 0-6 ATS in its last six games as a home favorite.

As for scoring in Thursday's game, the betting public is confident in the Over (44).

The Vikings own the third worst defense in the league (382 yards per game) and rank 29th against the run (131.5).

The Steelers allow an average of 130.9 yards per game on the ground and surrender 23.8 points per contest, nearly a point fewer than Minnesota's average (25.4).

The Over is 4-1 in Minnesota's last five games overall and 7-5 for the season.

The Under is 5-2 in Pittsburgh's last seven Thursday games and has hit in four of the last five meetings between these teams.