The New England Patriots lost last season in the AFC championship game, because they had to take the show on the road. But this season they did not leave a lot to chance, surging through a somewhat middling schedule to earn the #1 seed in the AFC. They come into this game with a record of 15-2 straight-up and 14-3 against the football pointspread. And they have some astonishing numbers when they have played at home, including 15 wins in 18 tries in post-season action with Tom Brady at the helm. Brady, of course, had to serve a four-game suspension, but he appears to be on a mission, setting a new record for touchdown-interception ratio. And so he will go after his sixth win in seven tries against Mike Tomlin when the Pats face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that begins at 6:40 PM ET at Gillette Stadium. BetAnySports customers will be able to continue the action, even after the opening kickoff, as they access what is available through Live Betting Ultra.

The Patriots have turned the ball over just 11 times this season, so they are not about to beat themselves. And what they do that might differentiate themselves from most teams is that they spread it around to the point where you really don't know who they are going to rely on any given game. One constant, however, is Julian Edelman, the wide receiver who had 97 receptions on the year and who has gained 73 or more yards in nine consecutive games. Along with pass-catching running backs Dion Lewis and James White, they help to minimize the effect of losing tight end Rob Gronkowski, and the Patriots have emerged victorious in all nine games they were without the All-Pro performer.

This is a team with the receivers led the NFL in yards after the catch, and there is no question that Brady is the master of the short passing game. However, there is the ability to stretch the field with the likes of Chris Hogan and Michael Floyd (recently acquired after the Arizona Cardinals released in).

In the AFC Championship odds posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Pats are favored at home:

New England Patriots -6
Pittsburgh Steleers +6

Over 50.5 points -110
Under 50.5 pointfs -110

There is no question that the Steelers have superb offensive weapons with the "triplets" of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown. But one thing about Bill Belichick that has been consistent through the years is that he can concoct a scheme to take at least one of your offensive threats away. If he does that against the Steelers, it's going to make things a lot easier. The Patriots may not be able to mount a huge pass rush against a Steeler offensive line that has allowed Big Ben to be sacked only 19 times, but when it comes down to a comparison of these two quarterbacks, Roethlisberger is the one more likely to self-destruct. In his last six games, he has thrown eight touchdown passes but nine interceptions. And he has not been very effective in the red zone, even during the team's nine-game winning streak, as he has completed only 11 out of his 32 attempts. BetAnySports patrons know that it will not do the Steelers any good to kick field goals, because that's not going to bring a victory.

We would be the first to admit that New England has not faced the most rigorous schedule from the standpoint of explosive opposition, but they do indeed allow the fewest points per drive and per game in the league. They have also made opponents gain the most yards per point (20.8) in the NFL. So this won't necessarily be a cakewalk for them, but it won't be for the Steelers either. Malcolm Butler will most likely draw the assignment of dealing with Brown, but he will probably get plenty of help. And considering that the Patriots have won 103 out of 104 games at home when they had an eight-point lead, the fact that they score more points and give up less points in the first quarter than anyone in the league should mean something here.

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