Sports betting analysts will have a very tough time pegging certain teams in the upcoming NFL season. One of them is a team that used to be counted on to deliver a playoff appearance. This year, the outlook is much more cloudy for one of professional football's signature franchises.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of two of the past five Super Bowl titles, cannot be pleased with their wild and crazy offseason in which their star offensive players couldn't keep their sexual urges under control, to put things plainly. Outlandish (not necessarily unlawful, but certainly disgusting) behavior by receiver Santonio Holmes and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has led to Holmes' exit and Roethlisberger's suspension for at least one fourth of the season, maybe more. The Steelers have a lot of issues to confront without Big Ben, and quarterback is only one such problem. Pittsburgh's quarterback, Dennis Dixon - who backed up Roethlisberger last year with expectedly minimal results - has the footspeed and nimbleness that can result in successful scrambles and other improvisational plays outside the pocket. However, Dixon doesn't have the size or the cannon arm that have made Roethlisberger an elite quarterback. One must also point out that Dixon - who ran a spread option attack at Oregon - lacked the pro-style I-formation or split-back sets in college that would have given him a better tutorial for NFL football.

NFL betting gurus have to look beyond Dixon, too. Holmes made the winning touchdown catch for the ,AFC Northbet, Steelers in their last-minute win over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, and he offered the Steelers some quick-strike potency to go along with a hard-hitting defense led by Troy Polamalu. The Steelers' defense got beaten up last year, so with improved health on that side of the ball, Pittsburgh should still be at least a .500 team. However, it's impossible to ignore the Big Ben suspension. Without their big-time quarterback - and in the wake of an awful offseason - the Steelers would do well to get nine wins. They should be thrilled if they can post 10 wins. A 9-7 year looks like a good bet in the Steel City.