The Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers will play a primetime game on Sunday Night Football. It's time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Seahawks-Steelers prediction and pick.
Both of these teams are entering a make-or-break stretch of their respective seasons. The Seahawks lost superstar quarterback Russell Wilson to a finger injury in Week 5, so their playoff hopes now depend on backup signal-caller Geno Smith. If Smith can keep Seattle afloat until Wilson's return, the Seahawks will have a decent chance of taking a playoff spot in the NFC. Pittsburgh also desperately needs some wins over the next few weeks to keep pace in the hotly contested AFC North. Over the next three weeks, the Steelers face a divisional rival and two teams that are below .500. Earning a losing record in that stretch may be enough to cost them a playoff chance.
HEre's how the bookmakers have set the lines for Sunday's game.
NFL Odds: Seahawks-Steelers Odds
Seattle Seahawks +5 (-110)
Pittsburgh Steelers -5 (-110)
Over 42 points (-118)
Under 42 points (-102)
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Why The Seahawks Could Cover The Spread
Russell Wilson is an impossible player to replace, but Geno Smith played admirably when coming off the bench against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5. He posted 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception in just under a half of work. The Rams' defense is one of the best in the league and Smith still played well against them without taking any first-team practice reps. It's easy to see him improving with a full week of practice under his belt and a softer opponent in the Steelers.
Seattle hasn't been a good defensive team since the Legion of Boom was in action, but that shouldn't matter too much here. The Steelers have been completely terrible on offense this season. Besides a good showing in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, there's no reason to think that this Pittsburgh offense is capable of scoring on anyone. They didn't top 20 points in a game in weeks 2-4, and now starting wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is out for the year with a shoulder injury. The offensive line looks like a bunch of revolving doors, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has looked his age. Seattle doesn't have too much to worry about on the defensive side of the ball here.
Why The Steelers Could Cover The Spread
This defense will almost always give Pittsburgh a chance to win games. It also happens that they are built perfectly to counteract Seattle's offense. This defensive line is one of the best units in the league, and the Seahawks almost always have offensive line trouble. Seattle has given up multiple sacks in every single game but one this season, and the Steelers may be the toughest defensive line they've faced so far. Geno Smith won't be comfortable in the pocket in any way during this game. Starting running back Chris Carson will miss this game with a finger injury, making things even worse for Smith. Expect Pittsburgh to dominate up front throughout this entire game.
Pittsburgh may field a struggling offense, but the Seahawks defense hasn't been up to par either. They've allowed over 300 yards passing in each of their last three contests, with one of those games coming against the San Francisco 49ers and backup rookie quarterback Trey Lance. The Seahawks also just cut cornerback Tre Flowers, a player who saw significant playing time over the last couple of seasons. This secondary is far worse than the Denver unit that Roethlisberger just dropped 253 yards and two touchdowns on.
Final Seahawks-Steelers Prediction & Pick
This game shouldn't be particularly close. Seattle relies on Wilson for so much and it's hard to see them running a stable offense without him or Carson. Take the Steelers to cover at home here.
FINAL PICK: Pittsburgh Steelers -5 (-110)
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