The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the playoffs this Sunday night with running back Rashard Mendenhall out for the season due a knee injury and two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the mend from an ankle sprain. Roethlisberger, who has struggled since suffering the initial injury in the NFL Week 14, aggravated his ankle in the 13-9 win at Cleveland.

So at this point, the biggest and most relevant question surrounding the coming AFC wild card matchup is: can Roethlisberger be as effective on one leg as Tim Tebow is on two?  For the Steelers’ coach, Mike Tomlin, the injury shouldn’t be an inconvenience for Roethlisberger and his offensive team. “He won last week. That is how he is measured. That is how I am measured." said Tomlin

Sportsbetting experts and oddmakers seem to agree with Tomlin, and listed the Steelers as -9 point favorite to win the match. While Roethlisberger may not be in his best shape for this game, there's a good chance Teabow’s fairly-tale run ends with this game.

The Broncos, who are the only home underdogs (+9) in the first round of the playoffs, will play enter their first playoff game since 2005.  During this current season, Tebow has guided his team to six consecutive wins, including four fourth-quarter comebacks, but the magic seem to have come to an end after a series of unexpected losses that includes a shocking 40-14 defeat at Buffalo on Dec. 24, and last Sunday's 7-3 home setback to Kansas City.

Despite the three game losing streak, the Broncos came out ahead in a three-way tiebreaker with Oakland and San Diego that determined the AFC West representative when the Chargers swiped the Raiders in the final week. The Steelers closed the regular season with a positive 12-4 record, but lost the tiebreaker with Baltimore for first place in the AFC North. Pittsburgh ended up with the top wild card spot and the No. 5 seed.

Series history:

The Steelers and Broncos have met six times in postseason games, with the most recent being a 34-17 victory for the Steelers in the 2005 AFC Championship. The Steelers also scored additional victories in the 1985 Divisional Playoff, and in a 1978 Divisional Round encounter. Denver won three Divisional matches in 1977 (34-21) and 1989 (24-24), and recorded a 24-21 win at Three Rivers Stadium in the 1997 AFC Championship.

Game Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers: -9 +100     
Denver Broncos: +9-120
Game Total: 33.5 -110  

The NFL odds above are at Wagerweb.com, a leading offshore sportsbook and highly recommended sponsor at inspin.com. The betting odds do change so please check their website here for instant updates.

Winning Betting Trends:

Denver Broncos Trends

Broncos are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.83.33 %
Broncos are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after accumulating less than 150 yards passing in their previous game. 83.33 %
Broncos are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.80.00 %
Broncos are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog of 0.5-3.0. 80.00 %
Broncos are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games as a home underdog of 0.5-3.0. 71.43 %

Pittsburgh Steelers Trends

Steelers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games in January. 90.91 %
Steelers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game. 87.5 %
Steelers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 playoff games as a favorite. 85.71 %
Steelers are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games following a ATS loss. 83.33 %
Steelers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0. 83.33 %
Steelers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 playoff games. 81.82 %

EXTRA POINTS:
1. Roethlisberger has a 10-3 career record in the postseason.
2. The Broncos and Steelers have split six playoff matchups. The winner went to the Super Bowl on five of those occasions.
3. “People say he can’t throw the ball, he can’t do this. He finds a way to win.” – Roethlisberger on Tebow.

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