Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers Pick & Preview

NFL Week 7 Sunday, Oct. 25 - 1 p.m. Eastern - FOX Minnesota Vikings (6-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)

Good fortune has aided the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings so far in the 2009 NFL season, as a last-second missed field goal by Baltimore and a last-second touchdown pass by Brett Favre have allowed the Vikings to remain perfect. Things will be much tougher Sunday when the Vikings are at the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. Eastern. FOX will regionally televise this matchup between one of the NFC's best teams and the defending Super Bowl champion at Heinz Field.

Minnesota picked up a key 33-31 win against Baltimore last Sunday, as the Ravens missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired. But Minnesota probably doesn't want to test that good fortune again in the Vikings-Steelers game Sunday. Those last-second plays have a tendency to even out over a long NFL season.

Sunday's Vikings-Steelers matchup should be a good test of strength versus strength. Even though new Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has grabbed many of the headlines this season, Minnesota continues to rely on its superstar running back, Adrian Peterson, who has 624 rushing yards and 85 receiving yards in six games, with seven touchdowns. Peterson shredded a tough Ravens defense last Sunday for 143 rushing yards. Pittsburgh's defense, meanwhile, leads the NFL with 1 rushing touchdown allowed this season and ranks second with only 74.5 rushing yards allowed per game.

In the Vikings at Steelers game Sunday, Minnesota clearly will face its toughest road test of the year. The Vikings have picked up easy road wins at Cleveland (34-20), at Detroit (27-13), and at St. Louis (38-10). However, those road tests are nothing like what the Vikings will see in Pittsburgh Sunday, as those three teams are a combined 2-16 this season.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is 3-0 at home this season, defeating Tennessee (13-10 in overtime), San Diego (38-28), and Cleveland (27-14). Pittsburgh's quality of opponent at home hasn't been much better than what Minnesota has faced on the road, though, as those three teams have combined for a 3-13 record.

The early line has Pittsburgh as a 4-point home favorite in the Vikings-Steelers game. Pittsburgh is only 1-5 ATS this season, including 1-2 ATS at home. Pittsburgh has been favored in every game this season. The Vikings, meanwhile, are 4-2 ATS this season, including a 3-0 mark on the road ATS. Minnesota has not been an underdog yet this season.

Minnesota is 2-0 against AFC North teams, defeating Baltimore 33-31 as a 3-point favorite and winning at Cleveland 34-20 as a 4-point favorite.

Pittsburgh is 1-1 against NFC North teams, losing at Chicago 17-14 as a 3-point favorite and winning 28-20 at Detroit as an 11-point favorite.