The Pittsburgh Steelers have made news on the sportsbook page for months and it continued on Monday when they named Dennis Dixon the starting quarterback for their opening game against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Steelers will be without Ben Roethlisberger who is suspended for the first four games of the season so it will be up to Dixon to get the job done until Big Ben returns. The Steelers are underdogs at the offshore sportsbook in the opener.
Pittsburgh’s chances of winning this week against Atlanta are probably better with Dixon at quarterback and they would have been with either Byron Leftwich or Charlie Batch. Dixon is capable of making plays while Leftwich and Batch are just journeyman veterans.
Atlanta Laying 2.5 at the Sbg sportsbook – The Falcons are slight favorites this week even though they are on the road. People just don’t believe that Pittsburgh is that good without Roethlisberger. The value is on the Steelers though as you actually get them plus the points
Dixon Can Run – There is no question that Dixon is a great running quarterback. He can make plays with his feet that neither Leftwich nor Batch can make. Dixon got one start last season and played pretty well in an overtime loss to Baltimore. He ran for one TD and threw for another in that game.
Charlie Batch has been with the Steelers since 2002 but he has only thrown two passes since 2007. He has been injured much of the past two seasons. He was listed as the fourth quarterback with the Steelers in training camp and was only bumped up the list because of Roethlisberger’s suspension and Leftwich’s injury.
Are the Bettors Right? Here is what you have to answer in this game. Are the bettors who make wagers at the sportsbook page right in going with Atlanta minus the points? Is the loss of Big Ben enough to make Atlanta worth playing? There is no question that Roethlisberger is a big part of Pittsburgh’s offense but is he worth almost a touchdown? The Steelers probably would have been 3.5 or 4 point favorites at the offshore sportsbook if Roethlisberger was healthy. They are now 2.5 point underdogs without him. Is one player worth that many points?