Evaluating the Pittsburgh Steelers odds for the 2022 season
The 2022 NFL season is going to be a change of gears for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This will be the first time in 18 years that the Steelers will play a season without future Hall of Fame QB Ben Roethlisberger under center. That’s a huge change, in and of itself.
While head coach Mike Tomlin having never had a losing season in the league since taking the helm in 2007, Vegas doesn’t have a ton of faith in the team to build upon their playoff berth last season.
Despite Pickett being pegged as the odds-on favorite for Rookie of the Year, the oddsmakers don’t seem to believe the Steelers will be a contender in 2022. The prospect of a triumvirate of free agency signing Mitchell Trubisky, four-year backup Mason Rudolph, and first round draft pick Kenny Pickett filling in for Roethlisberger has set expectations a bit lower.
But how low has the bar been set?
Let’s dig into the odds for some of the biggest futures bets for the Steelers’ upcoming season. These odds were provided via FanDuel Sportsbook, which BettingApps.com has listed as one of the best sports betting apps in Pennsylvania.
Steelers win total, over/under (O/U 7.5)
After a 9-7-1 season that resulted in a playoff berth, FanDuel is a bit harsh to the Steelers this season. With an over/under of 7.5, even hitting the over would result in a season below .500.
In his 15 years as head coach, Mike Tomlin has never had a season where he finished below that mark. He’s in uncharted waters during this transition out of the Roethlisberger era, but seeing this 15-year streak end would still be a bummer for Steeler Nation.
Steelers odds to win the AFC North (+850, 4th)
In particular, this was a bit surprising to when reviewing the Steelers’ odds. Here is where FanDuel has pegged the chances of all of the AFC North teams:
- Ravens +160
- Bengals +200
- Browns +250
- Steelers +850
The Ravens and Bengals being on top shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The Ravens have a talented roster that was ravaged by injuries last year, while the Bengals are the reigning AFC Champions and Super Bowl representative from the division.
The gap between the Browns and Steelers is a mess.
The mystery surrounding Deshaun Watson should cast some doubt on Cleveland this year. Even after settling the majority of the civil cases against him, the Browns’ newly-acquired quarterback should still face some sort of disciplinary action.
Once he returns, the distractions and media scrutiny will be relentless.
If the Browns are forced to start Jacoby Brissett for even a quarter of the season, and then deal with a media circus, are they really that much more of a threat to win the North than the Steelers? (I don’t think so.)
Steelers odds to win the AFC (+4400, T-13th)
Obviously, Vegas has Pittsburgh as a longshot to make the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. Admittedly, it would be a miraculous run, but there’s still loads of talent on the roster.
Whoever steps up as the starting quarterback will have a ton of weapons, and the league’s most-expensive defense should be solid spot with the likes of Cameron Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, T.J. Watt.
The Steelers deserve to be respected way more than the Jaguars, who they are tied with for AFC Champion odds!
Steelers odds to win the Super Bowl (+8000, 23rd)
It shouldn’t much of a surprise that Pittsburgh is slotted far down the list of Super Bowl contending odds.
Should they get more respect from Vegas? Absolutely.
Mike Tomlin alone should garner more respect. Say what you will about his recent playoff history, but the Steelers are still among the most-winning teams in the league for nearly two decades. Tomlin has also navigated the waters without star players before, including 2010 when Roethlisberger was suspended for four games and 2019 when he had to rely on Rudolph, and Devlin Hodges, as his signal callers.
Can we really make the argument that there are 22 teams in the NFL with a better shot at winning it all? Are the Washington Commanders more likely to win?
Yes, there’s a big question mark at the most important position on the field, but if the Steelers can get any of the three passers, then there may be some value in getting to these bets while the odds are still juicy.
