STEELERS/49ERS Under 41.5 - The 49ers have transformed themselves into a running team, and they are now playing much better than they did earlier in the season. San Francisco is averaging 140.7 rushing yards per game on the season, and they have been especially lethal on the ground the last 3 games, averaging 161.0 yards on a hefty 4.7 yards per carry! As a result of this new found success on the ground, the Niners are doing a much better job of controlling the clock, and the end result has been that their games are much lower scoring than previous seasons. In fact, San Francisco has now gone Under in a remarkable 7 consecutive games! Given that the Steelers run defense has not been as good on the road than at home, I expect the 49ers to run a lot of clock once again, aiding the Under immensely. Pittsburgh exploded for 28 points last week, but remember, that was at home vs. Arizona. Even with that outburst, the Steelers are averaging just 19.6 points per game overall, a figure that drops to 16.8 points on the road. Unlike the Niners, the Steelers have been ineffective on the ground this season, and defenses have now learned how to defend what has become a one-dimensional Pittsburgh attack. Besides, if San Francisco does as good a job of ball control as I expect, Pittsburgh may simply not have enough possessions to push this game Over.
