Jets vs. Steelers Point Spread: NFL Week 7 Odds, Prediction
The Jets are priced as 1.5-point favourites on the NFL odds and a total of 38.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
It has been an incredibly newsy past week or so for these franchises. Last week, the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh but not offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett even though the offence had been the problem. The belief is that Hackett was kept because he’s good friends with star QB Aaron Rodgers. However, Hackett had offensive play-calling duties pulled from him by interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich anyways entering Monday’s game and eventual loss vs. Buffalo.
Then on Tuesday, the Jets made a trade that nearly everyone had expected, acquiring Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams from Las Vegas for a conditional third-round pick to reunite Rodgers with Adams. For a few years there in Green Bay, they were probably the best QB/WR duo in the NFL.
In a very unexpected turn considering the Steelers are tied for first in the AFC North, Coach Mike Tomlin reportedly is planning to bench starting QB Justin Fields for Russell Wilson, who won the job in training camp but got hurt on the eve of the regular season and hasn’t played since. Fields had performed quite well in Wilson’s place.
Including a couple of playoff meetings, Pittsburgh is 20-7 all-time against the Jets. They last played in 2022 and New York won 24-20 on the road in Week 2. The quarterbacks to take snaps that day were Zach Wilson (Jets), and Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky (Steelers). All are elsewhere now.
New York Jets
The Jets’ offence did look better on Monday night in a 23-20 home loss to Buffalo in the team’s first game since former quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Todd Downing took over offensive play-calling. Running back Breece Hall had really struggled the past two games but was clearly a focus with 169 yards from scrimmage. But it was hardly a dominant effort as Aaron Rodgers was sacked three times and the offensive line seemed to commit costly penalty after penalty in New York’s third straight loss. Penalties also were a problem under former head coach Robert Saleh. Rodgers has a losing record through six games for the first time in his career and has now gone 28 straight game without a 300-yard passing game, tied for the second-longest streak among active QBs.
Slipping to 2-4 was likely the last straw for ownership to pull the trigger on the Davante Adams trade because the Jets are all-in for 2024 with Rodgers possibly in his last season at age 40. Adams has missed the past three games with Las Vegas due to a “hamstring” injury, so it’s not 100 per cent he suits up for this one – but most believe he wasn’t really injured and forcing his way out. Rodgers had a bad interception with about two minutes left against the Bills or New York might have at worst sent the game to OT. Normally reliable kicker Greg Zuerlein missed two potential go-ahead field goals in the game for the Jets, hitting the left upright on both. They are 4-12 ATS in their past 16 games.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh played its best game of the season Sunday in a 32-13 win in Las Vegas, and that’s why the potential move by Coach Mike Tomlin to bench QB Justin Fields for Russell Wilson is so puzzling. Fields didn’t turn the ball over and rushed for two scores, his fourth straight game with at least two total TDs. He has 10 TDs on the year with just two turnovers. The 32 points were a season high for the Steelers as was the margin of victory and their 183 rushing yards. Tomlin said he would make his choice between Wilson and Fields as the starter “closer to game time” and didn’t rule out the possibility of using both. Tomlin has continued to list Wilson as QB1 on the depth chart. Linebacker Nick Herbig missed the Raiders win and won’t play here. Centre Zach Frazier was hurt in the victory – that offensive line has been ravaged this year by injuries – and is out. Pittsburgh is 7-2 ATS in its past nine primetime games.
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