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The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter a new season without Ben Roethlisberger and discover how much they can compete. Let us now look at FanDuel's 2022 NFL over under win total odds, including the Steelers' over/under win total.
The Steelers went 9-7-1, making the playoffs despite an aging and underperforming Roethlisberger. Ultimately, the Kansas City Chiefs quickly dispatched them 42-21 in the wildcard round, officially ending the Roethlisberger era. Roethlisberger's retirement gives way to a new quarterback to take the reigns. Mitchell Trubisky signed a two-year deal with $14 million, and Pittsburgh also drafted Kenny Pickett to start eventually.
Mike Tomlin has never had a losing record as head coach of the Steelers. Remarkably, he has produced a 162-94-2 record as head coach of the Steelers for over 15 years. Tomlin is the second-longest tenured head coach in the NFL behind Bill Belichick. He will bring in a new defensive coordinator as Teryl Austin joins the organization. Tomlin also brought in Brian Flores as a senior defensive assistant after the Miami Dolphins fired him from their head coaching role.
Tomlin has not won a playoff game in six years and is 0-3 over three appearances. Consequently, he has produced a 3-7 record over the previous 10 playoff games. Tomlin hopes to get his team back to the playoffs and change its recent fortunes.
Here are the 2022 NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
2022 NFL Odds: Steelers Over/Under Win Total Odds
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Over: 7.5 (-105)
Under: 7.5 (-115)
Why The Steelers Will Win Eight Games
Najee Harris was spectacular in 2021, rushing for 1200 yards, a 3.91 yards-per-carry mark, and seven touchdowns. Now, he hopes to replicate the effort and continue to be the workhorse in this offense. Benny Snell and Anthony MacFarland can provide depth behind him. Dionte Johnson is the only receiver from the offense's core that returns. Last year, he had 107 receptions for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns, all career highs. Pittsburgh will no longer have the services of Juju Smith-Schuster, James Washington, and Ray-Ray McCloud, all of whom have left for other teams.
The offensive line became an issue last year. Pittsburgh sunk $41 million into James Daniels and Mason Cole over the offseason, which should help improve the struggling line. Additionally, the Steelers spent $29 million to bring back Chuckwuma Okorafor in the trenches.
Cam Heyward anchors the defensive line and delivered last season with 10 sacks. Also, he will have some backup as Stephen Tuitt and Tyson Aluaku return. Linebacker T.J. Watt won NFL Defensive Player of the Year after tying the season-sack record with 22.5 sacks last year. This season, Watt expects to continue terrorizing defenses and keeping Pittsburgh competitive. Minkah Fitzpatrick is the leader in the secondary and produced 124 tackles last year. Quarterbacks must always watch out for him.
The Steelers will win eight games because they have talent at multiple positions, and Pittsburgh has a slightly easier schedule this year. Also, they can keep themselves competitive with their elite defense.
Why The Steelers Won't Win Eight Games
There are many issues. Namely, Trubisky is not an NFL starting quarterback for a reason. He has fallen on hard times since the Chicago Bears drafted him. However, he has sat for two years behind Josh Allen on the Buffalo Bills and will look for his second chance. Can he deliver? If he does not, Pittsburgh may panic and throw Pickett into a situation he has not prepared efficiently for.
The offensive line may have some additions, but there are plenty of questions. Can the new members of the offensive line gel quick enough to produce the running game the Steelers desire?
Heyward and Watt anchor the first line of defense. Alternatively, there are holes in the secondary. Pittsburgh did not re-sign Joe Haden and will enter 2022 with mostly unproven talent. Ahkello Witherspoon produced three interceptions in 2022 and will look to improve. But can he play at a higher level? It seems that Fitzpatrick is the only threat in that secondary. The Steelers must develop better play on the backend of the defense, or else quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen will have no issues throwing in that direction.
The Steelers will not win eight games because they have too many holes and not enough depth. Additionally, Trubisky is not a starting quarterback and will falter. Pittsburgh needs everything to go right to avoid a losing season.
Final Steelers Win Total Prediction
The Steelers can compete against the Cleveland Browns, but can they match up with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals? Those teams are stacked, and Pittsburgh has more holes. While I believe the Steelers will suffer a losing season, it will not be a terrible season. They are good enough to win some games but bad enough not to cover the spread.
Final Steelers Win Total Prediction: Under: 7.5 (-115)
