Pittsburgh Steelers vs Seattle Seahawks: More often than not, us fans of the National Football League sit and scratch our heads as we try to comprehend what we’re witnessing. That was very much the case on Sunday when the game with the lowest projected scoring total ended up producing 66 points.
That matchup featured the Pittsburgh Steelers, who overcame the New York Jets 34-32.
Meanwhile, over in Seattle, the Seahawks and 49ers slogged through a snooze fest for three quarters before San Francisco finally escaped with a 17-13 win.
Now, these two teams meet head-to-head. The consensus total sits at 40, with the Steelers laying -3.5 as the home favorite.
So how should we look to bet this one? Let’s dive in with my picks and predictions for the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks.
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Pittsburgh Steelers vs Seattle Seahawks NFL Betting Insights
Can Sam Darnold get things going in Week 2?
Roaring Rodgers: The 41-year-old quarterback seemed to take last Sunday’s meeting personally, torching his former team, the New York Jets, with four touchdowns on 22 completions for 244 yards.
Does this mean the old Rodgers is back? Not exactly. But for football fans, it was a reminder of why he’s one of the greatest arms in league history. Still, we shouldn’t expect that kind of performance every week.
The rest of the offense had little to offer, with the Steelers managing just 53 yards on 20 carries between Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. Rookie Kaleb Johnson saw just one attempt, losing two yards.
Rodgers, however, wasted no time syncing with his top wideouts. DK Metcalf caught four of seven targets for 83 yards, while Calvin Austin added four receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown.
Now the focus shifts to a Seattle secondary that just allowed an injured Brock Purdy to complete 26 of 35 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Struggling Sam: It wasn’t the prettiest debut for Sam Darnold. The former Minnesota Viking completed 16 of 23 passes (69.6%), but managed only 150 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
It’s important not to overreact after just one week, but if this version of Darnold – the one we saw often late last season – sticks around, Seattle could be in real trouble.
On the flip side, don’t expect Pittsburgh’s defense to look as shaky as it did against the Jets every week. This is still a veteran group loaded with talent, and I’d anticipate a bounce-back sooner rather than later.
That said, their front seven did give up 182 rushing yards on 39 carries (4.7 YPC). Even if that performance proves to be an outlier, it’s enough to suggest Seattle’s run-heavy approach will be the clear point of attack.
Best Bet: That leads me to my favorite prop in this game: Zach Charbonnet Over 10.5 Rushing Attempts (-115). I’d even be comfortable playing it up to 11.5, which is widely available.
There’s been growing sentiment that Seattle’s backfield would shift toward Charbonnet, and that’s exactly what we saw in Week 1. He logged 12 carries for 47 yards (3.9 YPC), handled 54.5% of the rushing attempts, saw four red-zone carries, and was on the field for 57.6% of the snaps.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Walker managed just 20 yards on 10 carries – an unproductive outing for the 24-year-old.
Yes, I just cautioned against overreacting to one week, but this prop number is simply too low. Dating back to last season, Charbonnet has consistently looked like the better back, and it appears head coach Mike Macdonald sees it too. I expect his workload to grow again, pushing him past this 10.5/11.5 attempt mark on Sunday.
Best Bet: Zach Charbonnet Over 10.5 rush attempts (-115)
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