Lions vs. Steelers Point Spread: NFL Pre-Season Week 3 Odds, Prediction
The final week of the NFL preseason ends in Pittsburgh for the Steelers and Lions as they get set to face off on Sunday. Pittsburgh is 2-0 in August with victories over Seattle and Jacksonville. Detroit has split a pair of preseason contests, defeating the Colts last week and losing to Atlanta two weeks ago.
The Steelers are 4.5-point favourites to win on the NFL odds, with a total of 39.0.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
These teams met in the preseason last year, with Pittsburgh coming out on top 26-20. They also met in Week 10 of the regular season and actually finished with a bizarre 16-16 tie in Pittsburgh. With the since-retired Ben Roethlisberger in COVID protocols, Mason Rudolph started at quarterback, throwing for 242 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Jared Goff led the Lions with just 114 passing yards.
These teams won’t meet in the regular season this year. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is 36-24 in his preseason career, while Lions bench boss Dan Campbell is 1-4. It’s also worth noting that Pittsburgh is 13-1-1 straight up in their last 15 home games against Detroit.
Detroit Lions
The Lions opened their preseason with a close 27-23 loss against Atlanta. They followed that up by slipping past Indianapolis 27-26 last week. David Blough and Tim Boyle split the game under centre. Blough finished 16-of-22 passing, for 76 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Boyle went 12-of-15 for 99 yards and a touchdown. Rookie defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson has impressed through training camp and the preseason. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft should be a big factor against a weak Pittsburgh offensive line.
Detroit has announced they plan to field most of their starters for roughly two quarters on Sunday, although their starting quarterback, Goff, won’t be among that group. Blough and Boyle will again lead the charge at quarterback, with Boyle expected to get the start. This game is the last chance for either Blough or Boyle to take the reins and win the backup QB job.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh has won both their preseason games, taking out Seattle 32-25 and Jacksonville 16-15. With Mitch Trubisky signed in the offseason and expected to serve as Roethlisberger’s replacement, the big question for the Steelers in the preseason is who will win the backup QB job. Trubisky, Rudolph and Kenny Pickett have all seen action in both preseason games and it looks like Pickett might have the edge as the No. 2 option. The 20th overall pick in the 2022 draft has combined to complete 19 of 22 pass attempts in the preseason for 171 yards and three touchdowns. Rudolph is 26-for-36 for 220 yards and two touchdowns.
Another rookie, running back Jaylen Warren, has impressed and could be the No. 2 option behind Najee Harris. The big concern for Pittsburgh right now is a struggling offensive line that Tomlin has publicly called out. Tomlin also hasn’t announced what he plans to do with the starters. With the regular season still two weeks away, however, it would be surprising if the Steelers didn’t go with a similar approach as Detroit and give their starters some playing time.
DET
PIT