Buffalo Bills vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Pick & Prediction 8/17/24
With the point spread sitting at -4 in favor of the Steelers, we have a good idea of what to expect in this week two pre-season matchup between the Bills and Steelers. Kickoff is set for 7:00 ET on Saturday, August 17th at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, and this one is being televised on NFLN. Both teams are 0-1 in the pre-season, and the Steelers are the favorite with money line odds of -203, while the Bills are at +168.
BUFFALO BILLS VS PITTSBURGH STEELERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Buffalo Bills +4
This game will be played at Acrisure Stadium at 7:00 ET on Saturday, August 17th.
WHY BET THE BUFFALO BILLS:
- We have the Bills winning this one by a score of 17 to 12
- Not only do we have the Bills winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +4
- We see this game finishing below the line of 37 points
Will The Bills Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs
Heading into the 4th quarter, the Bills are trailing the Bears 13-6. Despite being 3-point favorites, Buffalo is on track to lose this one 33-6, and they didn’t even come close to covering the spread.
Our projected point spread had the Bills at -3, and with the Bears leading 13-6 going into the 4th, Buffalo’s chances of covering the spread are slim. As for the over/under line, it’s at 37.5, and the teams have combined for 39 points.
The Bills’ offense really struggled in their 33-6 loss to the Bears, finishing with just 123 yards passing and going without a touchdown. Their running game was also ineffective, managing only 77 yards on 26 attempts, averaging just 3.0 yards per attempt.
Buffalo’s offensive line had a tough time protecting the quarterback, as they allowed eight sacks. Mitchell Trubisky was their leading passer with 82 yards, finishing 10/18, and he was also sacked twice.
In their 33-6 loss to the Bears, the Bills’ defense struggled to generate pressure, finishing with just one sack and losing the QB hit and tackles for loss differentials. Despite this, they did a good job limiting the Bears to 12 completions on 21 attempts for 199 yards in the passing game.
However, Buffalo’s run defense was a big issue, allowing 141 rushing yards on just 30 attempts. They gave up 9 rushing first downs and allowed the Bears to average 4.7 yards per attempt on the ground. For the game, the Bills’ defense allowed 340 yards and 19 first downs.
Are The Steelers Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?
With a 20-12 loss to the Texans, the Steelers are now 0-1 in the pre-season. This one ended with the Steelers falling by eight points, and they didn’t cover the spread, as they were +3 point favorites heading into the game.
Despite a late push in the 3rd quarter, the Steelers couldn’t come back, as the Texans added a late touchdown to make it 20-12. The Steelers didn’t get on the board until late in the 2nd quarter, when Kyle Allen found Dez Fitzpatrick for a touchdown.
Despite finishing with 19 first downs, the Steelers’ offense struggled on third down, converting just 22.2% of their chances in their 20-12 loss to the Texans. They finished with 255 yards and 109 rushing yards on 25 attempts. In the passing game, they had 235 yards, averaging 8.1 yards per attempt, and finishing with one touchdown and one interception.
Quarterback Kyle Allen led the team with 193 yards passing, completing 17 of 23 passes and finishing with a passer rating of 95. Daijun Edwards was their top rusher, finishing with 28 yards on just three attempts and scoring one touchdown. Calvin Austin III led the team with 49 yards receiving.
In their most recent game, the Steelers’ defense did a good job vs. the run, allowing just 80 yards on 27 attempts. However, despite allowing just 175 passing yards, they gave up 20 points and forced just 3.0 yards per attempt on the ground.
Pittsburgh’s defense finished with three sacks and held Houston to 38.5% on third down conversions. But, they finished with 17 first downs and 255 yards of offense in their 20-12 loss. They also lost the turnover battle, finishing with a -2 turnover differential.