The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2011 season is set to get under way Sunday afternoon with a tough opening contest against their archrivals, the Baltimore Ravens.
The game will be at 1:00 PM on CBS. Other 1:00 games include Cincinnati vs. Cleveland, Atlanta vs. Chicago, and Philadelphia vs. St. Louis. You can check out the full schedule of NFL games for both Sunday and Monday here.
In addition, here's Michael Bean's take on odds for games this week. Here's his take on the Steelers/Ravens contest:
The Steelers have covered the spread in each of their last six AFC North contests. Considering how well the Steelers have played in their season openers recently - they've won their past eight, the longest active streak in the league - and particularly under Mike Tomlin - they're 4-0 since 2007 - I can see why the bulk of the action is coming in on Pittsburgh. I'm leaning that way too, however with the line just at +1, I'd prefer to just pick the Steelers to win outright on the moneyline for a +105 payout. Pick: Steelers to win outright.
We'll have a bunch of coverage of the game on Sunday, but you should also be sure to check out Behind The Steel Curtain, where you can talk with fellow Steelers fans about the game. For the opposing perspective, be sure to visit Baltimore Beat Down, which now has a post on why the Steelers are actually nice for the Ravens to have around.