2006 · Week 5

Final

Steelers

Pittsburgh

QB Ben Roethlisberger

13·23

Chargers

San Diego

QB Philip Rivers

Qualcomm Stadium · outdoors · grass · 67°F · wind 9mph

Closing spread

SD -3.5

Total

37

Model margin

+1.0est.

SD perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Chargers
  • Steelers

How each play moved the game.

Chargers winsSteelers wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

The rivalry

PIT lead 9–5 since 1999

Meetings average 49.7 points. SD are 5-9 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W10PIT @ LAC1025CHARGERS
2024 · W3LAC @ PIT1020PIT
2021 · W11PIT @ LAC3741CHARGERS
2019 · W6PIT @ LAC2417PIT
2018 · W13LAC @ PIT3330CHARGERS
2015 · W5PIT @ SD2420PIT
2012 · W14SD @ PIT3424CHARGERS
2009 · W4SD @ PIT2838PIT

Box score

Individual performances

Steelers

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Ben Roethlisberger20/3122002

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Willie Parker14574.11
Najeh Davenport200.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +3.54.3%2.8%7.2%7.4%3.0%4.5%2.8%

Positive margins favour Chargers; negative favour Steelers.

Half-point at risk

2.49%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

51.6%

Expected total

44.2est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-1.04
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential-0.56
  • Expected margin+0.96

One or both ratings are carry-over priors — no games have been played this season yet, so treat this as a starting assumption rather than a read.