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Charlie Grant
Chiefs vs. Steelers Point Spread: NFL Pre-Season Week 2 Odds, Prediction
Pre-season or not, it’s always worth tuning in if Patrick Mahomes is playing. The most exciting player in the NFL leads the Kansas City Chiefs to Pittsburgh for a Saturday matchup against the Steelers. Both teams are expecting to challenge the New England Patriots for the AFC No. 1 seed.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
KC is coming off a 38-17 win over Cincinnati last weekend as a 3.5-point home favourite. The Chiefs are 3-1 straight up and against the spread in their last four exhibition games dating back to last year. The over is also 3-0 in their last three pre-season contests.
Pittsburgh won 30-28 last Friday at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Steelers failed to cover as 2-point home faves. The result improved Pitt’s record to 7-2 SU (6-2-1 ATS) since preseason in 2017.
The Steelers are 24-26-2 ATS in August games since Mike Tomlin took over coaching duties in 2007. Kansas City, meanwhile, is 14-11 SU since Andy Reid became the Chiefs head coach in 2013.
This game is basically a pick’em based on the odds at Sports Interaction. Bettors looking to pick a side will have to look at the moneyline where the Chiefs are the slightest of favourites.
Kansas City Chiefs
Reid hasn’t addressed playing time for his first teamers against the Steelers, but bettors should be safe assuming at least two series. Mahomes and the rest of the offensive starters played the first series against the Bengals last week.
Week 3 is traditionally the game NFL coaches play their starters the most -two to three quarters. Last season, when Mahomes was just breaking into the starter’s role, Reid kept his QB1 on the field for the duration of the first half.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The news in Pittsburgh this week centred around the sudden passing of wide receivers coach Darryl Drake. He only joined the team last season but he was close with many members of the team.
Ben Roethlisberger did not play in the Steelers’ game against the Bucs last week and bettors shouldn’t expect to see Big Ben on the field this weekend either. Tomlin has opted to limit Roelisberger’s exhibition cameos to the first half of Week 3 games over the last three years.
KC
PIT