Steelers vs. Vikings: TNF betting odds, preview, and pick

Two teams on the fringe of a playoff spot will clash on Thursday Night Football in Week 14, as the Minnesota Vikings host the Pittsburgh Steelers at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Steelers come from behind to oust AFC North leader

Following a tie and two straight losses since Week 9, Pittsburgh got back in the win column with a late comeback victory over division foe Baltimore, who lost Sunday's 20-19 slugfest on a failed two-point conversion attempt. 

The Ravens (8-4) owned the lead for the majority of the game and were up 13-12 with two minutes remaining in regulation, until Ben Roethlisberger connected with wideout Diontae Johnson on a five-yard touchdown reception and found tight end Pat Freiermuth for the two-point conversion.

The game was far from over, though, as Lamar Jackson drove his team down the field and converted on third-and-14 and third-and-5, before he hit receiver Sammy Watkins with a six-yard touchdown pass.

Instead of sending Justin Tucker to kick the extra point to force overtime, head coach John Harbaugh opted for a two-point conversion attempt.

The decision to avoid extra minutes was based on the number of injuries to Baltimore's secondary, but it ended up costing the AFC North leader the win.

On the final play, Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt chased after Jackson to hurry his pass to tight end Mark Andrews, who had the ball bounce off his fingertips. The Defensive Player of the Year candidate finished the day with six quarterback hits and 3.5 of Pittsburgh's seven sacks.

Roethlisberger went 21-of-31 passing for 236 yards and two scores, as he celebrated the 39th fourth-quarter comeback of his career.

The Steelers now sit 6-5-1 and are No. 8 in the AFC playoff standings.

Shorthanded Vikings fall to hapless rival

With Dalvin Cook out with a shoulder issue and star wideout Adam Thielen sidelined for most of the game with an ankle injury, Minnesota struggled against the previously winless Detroit Lions in a 29-27 road setback.

Minnesota got off to a sluggish start, as it settled for two field goals in the first quarter, which counted for the team's only points of the first half.

The Vikings converted on just three of six red-zone opportunities and finished the day 6-of-13 on third down.

The second half saw a much more energized offense, which scored 16 points in the first 18 minutes and built a 27-23 lead with 1:50 left to play.

But after a go-ahead touchdown to Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson with under two minutes in the fourth quarter, Lions quarterback Jared Goff spearheaded a 75-yard drive that culminated in an 11-yard end zone reception by Amon-Ra St. Brown as time expired.

Leading up to the Hail Mary pass, the Vikes failed on back-to-back two-point conversion tries.

The touchdown handed Detroit its first win in 364 days, while Minnesota (5-7) endured its seventh one-possession defeat of the season.

Last week's eight-point loss to San Francisco was the Vikings' largest margin of defeat in 2021.

Steelers and Vikings betting trends

• Pittsburgh is 0-5 ATS versus teams with a losing record
• Pittsburgh is 4-1-1 ATS in its last six Thursday games
• Minnesota is 0-6 ATS in its last six games as a home favorite
• The Over is 4-1 in Minnesota's last five games overall
• Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings between these teams

Steelers primed for upset win on road

The Steelers and Vikings defenses rank first and second, respectively, in team sacks, while neither offense has inspired much confidence lately.

With Minnesota's injuries to Cook and Thielen, Jefferson will need another huge performance to keep his team in the game, as the Vikings host a hungry Steelers squad that showed fight against a top playoff contender in Week 13.

Both of these teams rank in the bottom 10 against the run, so look for Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris and Cook's backup Alexander Mattison to get plenty of work in a ground-and-pound battle. 

The Vikings desperately need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but injuries will cost them in this inter-conference clash.

Score prediction: Steelers 24, Vikings 20

NFL Week 14 pick: Steelers +3.5