Sunday afternoon the Pittsburgh Steelers head to Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots in a huge ACF battle. Odds makers have the Patriots as slight home favorites in a game that will surely have a playoff atmosphere. NFL betting lines have New England at -1 with total sitting at 39.5.

The New England offense has taken a giant leap forward and their quarterback Matt Cassel has been on fire. Cassel has thrown for over 400 yards and three touchdowns in each of the last two games. A week ago against Miami, Cassel found Pro Bowl wide-out Randy Moss for three scores in route to their 48-28 victory over the Dolphins.

This week, New England will face a team with a winning record for the fifth straight time. The Patriots are 2-2 over the stretch with wins over Buffalo and Miami.

Although the game is in New England, the weather may be on the Steelers side. The forecast for game time is calling for rain, sleet, and a light wind. This may make it difficult to throw the play down the field.

This game will probably be won between the tackles running the football. With their backfield depleted by injuries, the Patriots have veterans Sammie Morris, Kevin Faulk and rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Steelers are the leagues number 1 defense and are allowing just an average of 66.5 yards per game on the ground.

The Steelers have problems in the back field themselves. Running back Willie Parker's status is unclear, but back-up Mewelde Moore has been stellar filling in for Parker. Even if Parker is able to play, Moore figures to get a lot of touches.

Look for the Steelers defense to be all over Matt Cassel. Take the Steelers getting the 1 point.