NFL Odds – Steelers Win AFC Championship & Advance to Super Bowl.The Pittsburgh Steelers got out to a 24-0 lead in the AFC Championship and then held on for dear life as they beat the New York Jets 24-19, just covering the 3.5 point spread. The Steelers dominated the first half but then did virtually nothing in the second half. The Jets made a game of it but still couldn’t get the win or the cover against the NFL betting odds at Sbgglobal.
Ugly Win
The Steelers started strong but overall they won an ugly game. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a passer rating of 35.5 on Sunday but he made the plays when it counted and won another big game. When the Steelers needed a big play it was Big Ben who delivered. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to their third Super Bowl appearance in the last five years. The Steelers teams of 2005 and 2008 both won the Super Bowl with Big Ben at the helm.
First Half
The Steelers dominated the Jets in the first half as they got out to a 24-3 lead. Running back Rashard Mendenhall had 95 of his 121 yards and a touchdown in the first half. The Steelers played like a team with a big lead in the second half and it almost cost them the game.
Dominate Defense
The Steelers finished the regular season with the #1 defense in the NFL and it was on display on Sunday. The defense made a huge play in the first half as Ike Taylor sacked New York quarterback Mark Sanchez forcing a fumble and William Gay ran it in from 22 yards out for a TD.
Late Rally Falls Short
The Jets cut the Pittsburgh lead to 24-19 with 3:06 remaining as Mark Sanchez hit Jerricho Cotchery for a short TD pass. The problem for the Jets is that they never got the ball back again. New York actually ended up outgaining the Steelers in the game but the big fumble return for a TD and the bad first half was just too much for the Jets to overcome even though they made things interesting at the end.
Steelers Underdogs in Super Bowl XLV
Pittsburgh opened as a 1.5 point underdog in NFL odds for Super Bowl XLV against Green Bay and that NFL betting odds number moved up to 2.5 just after being released. The public has been betting Green Bay the past few weeks and they are already betting them again in the Super Bowl.