Odds: Steelers Open as Road Favorites against Las Vegas Raiders
DraftKings Sportsbook has the Pittsburgh Steelers as -3 road favorites against the Las Vegas Raiders in their Week 6 NFL odds. Pittsburgh is favored on the road despite an embarrassing 20-17 Sunday Night Football loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Week 5 was a house of horrors for Pittsburgh. They won the turnover battle 3-1, and the special teams unit blocked a field goal. And yet, the Steelers offense couldn’t do enough to win against a Micah Parsons-less Dallas defense.
The Raiders didn’t fare better in Week 5, losing to their AFC West rivals, the Denver Broncos, 34-18.
The Quarterback Blues
Raiders HC Antonio Pierce made the QB switch from Gardner Minshew II to Aiden O’Connell after the former threw his second interception of the game for a pick-six. O’Connell was far from productive in relief, going 10-20 for 89 yards and one interception.
Nobody, including Pierce, knows which QB will start versus the Steelers this Sunday.
Steelers QB Justin Fields played OK. He went 15-27 for 131 passing yards and two touchdown passes. Sometimes OK is good enough from a QB in today’s NFL, but it wasn’t in Week 5.
Dallas outgained the Steelers 445 to 226 in total yards. The Steelers rushing attack, which OC Arthur Smith was supposed to improve, remained stagnant for the second week. Najee Harris rushed for only 42 yards on 14 carries.
If these trends continue, the Steelers will lose to above-average NFL QBs. Fortunately for the Steelers, the Raiders don’t have an average QB on their roster.
Steelers Odds Show Lack of Respect for the Raiders
Las Vegas certainly hasn’t earned any respect in the NFL betting market. They don’t have a QB. Their defensive front allows 4.9 yards per rush.
They’re also an organization in turmoil. Star WR Davante Adams is on his way out. Trade rumors have Adams reuniting with Aaron Rodgers in New York. The Steelers are also a possible destination.
Steelers fans and bettors should remain cautious. While the Raiders can’t stop the run, the Steelers’ running game hasn’t been effective. Injuries to Jaylen Warren and Cordarelle Patterson have a negative impact, but Najee Harris hasn’t played to his pedigree.
Harris managed only 42 yards on Sunday night against an injury-riddled Dallas defense. QB Justin Fields played the worst game of his career, passing for a mere 131 yards. The Pittsburgh offense wasn’t one-dimensional—it had no dimensions.
Mike Tomlin’s Steelers haven’t performed well as a road favorite. During his tenure as Steelers coach, his teams are 32-40-2 against the spread when favored in opposing stadiums.
While a game against the Raiders is a chance for the Steelers to get right, a three-point spread is a great buy-low opportunity on a Las Vegas team receiving little respect in the Week 6 NFL odds market.
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