The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are set to square off in a week two NFL matchup on Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL odds series, which includes a Patriots-Steelers prediction and pick, laid out below.
The New England Patriots suffered a 20-7 loss to the Miami Dolphins in their season opener, a loss that usually does not happen under head coach Bill Belichick. Three turnovers are unacceptable and Belichick knows this, meaning the team certainly rectified that in practice this week.
Pittsburgh no longer counts Ben Roethlisberger as their starting quarterback, yet were able to secure a victory in the season opener, a thrilling 23-20 overtime victory over their division rival Cincinnati Bengals. Mike Tomlin has continued to cement his legacy as a great NFL coach.
Here are the Patriots-Steelers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Patriots-Steelers Odds
New England Patriots: -2.5 (-112)
Pittsburgh Steelers: +2.5 (-108)
Over: 40.5 (-105)
Under: 40.5 (-115)
Why The Patriots Could Cover The Spread
New England turned the ball over three times in a loss to Miami. Mac Jones threw for 213 yards, with one touchdown and two turnovers in the opener. Jones has missed some time this week in practice with an illness, but that should not affect his status for this weekend's matchup. Damien Harris totaled 48 rushing yards to lead the team, and the team totaled 78 rushing yards. Jones and Nelson Agholor both lost a fumble, with Jones also throwing an interception. Jakobi Meyers led the team with four catches and 55 receiving yards. Ty Montgomery was on the receiving end of the lone touchdown in the opener, totaling three catches and 15 receiving yards. Rhamondre Stevenson has rushed for 25 yards, the second-highest total on the team. New England totaled 271 yards against Miami, but the three turnovers handcuffed the team.
Defensively, New England surrendered 307 yards, 5.2 yards per play on average. New England sacked Tua Tagovailoa three times in the opener and recorded seven quarterback hits against the lefty. Ja'Whaun Bentley led the team with seven tackles and added a sack. Matt Judon and Deatrich Wise, Jr. each added a sack. Jonathan Jones and Wise each forced a Dolphins fumble, but neither was recovered by New England.
Why The Steelers Could Cover The Spread
Pittsburgh has a new starting quarterback with Mitchell Trubisky taking over. Trubisky threw for 194 yards and a touchdown in the opener with no turnovers in the victory. Trubisky may not be the starting quarterback for long, with Kenny Pickett waiting in the wings after being drafted in the first round. Running back Najee Harris only totaled 23 rushing yards, adding a receiving touchdown from Trubisky before leaving with an injury. The young running back said that he is able to play this week, returning to practice at the end of the week. Chase Claypool led the team with 36 rushing yards, adding four catches for 18 yards. Diontae Johnson led the team with seven catches, totaling 55 receiving yards. Tight end Pat Freiermuth caught five passes, leading the team with 75 receiving yards.
Minkah Fitzpatrick led the team with 14 tackles, returning an interception for a touchdown in the opener against Jacksonville. Myles Jack was the other Steeler to total double-digit tackles, with ten in the opener. Alex Highsmith led the team with three sacks, and the team totaled seven against Cincinnati. Pittsburgh totaled four interceptions in the opener.
Final Patriots-Steelers Prediction & Pick
New England is just too much to handle for Pittsburgh.
Final Patriots-Steelers Prediction & Pick: New England -2.5 (-112), under 40.5 (-115)
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