Because the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles contend in opposite conferences, they don’t actually play each other very often. But this Sunday is one of those rare times, not to mention that it’s incredibly late in the regular season, and both need to keep pace for playoff seeding, maybe even the number one seed in their respective conferences. Each is coming off a win, Pittsburgh having vanquished the Cleveland Browns 27-14 and Philadelphia narrowly edging the Carolina Panthers 22-16.

Our NFL odds have a bit more chalk on the Eagles, with Philly pinned as -5.5 favourites.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

As alluded to, these Pennsylvanian franchises rarely square off on the gridiron. There have only been five meetings over the last 16 years. The Eagles have a 3-2 advantage over that span, with victories alternating between the sides (Eagles in 2008, Steelers in 2012, Eagles in 2016, Steelers in 2020, Eagles in 2022). The home team won every game.

Suffice it to say that 2024 has been a whirlwind ride for head coach Mike Tomlin and his ensemble. QB Russell Wilson sat out a few games early while nursing an ailment. Justin Fields won his starts, yet was still sequestered to be bench once Wilson was ready for action. Then again, at 10-3 in the standings, can one blame Tomlin? For that matter, the Steelers are also a remarkable 10-3 against the spread and have covered seven of their last eight.

The Eagles have also experienced their share of adversity this season, which is ironic given the 11-2 straight-up record to show for their efforts. The passing game isn’t great (180.6 yards per match, a woeful 31^st), but on the flip side, the defence is incredible. It easily gives up the fewest total yards per match at only 284.2. Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are playing great. Betters may have certain reservations, what with a decent if unspectacular 8-5 ATS tally.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Having suffered an infuriating loss to the Browns in a snowstorm two weeks prior, there was little chance the Pittsburgh would allow Cleveland to get the better of them at home on a crisp, sunny afternoon.

So it was in Week 14 as the Steelers dominated the Browns to the tune of a 27-14 win. A late Browns TD was the only event that made the scoreline feel somewhat respectable. Pittsburgh’s passing attack was far from stellar, with Wilson going 15-for-26 and only 156 yards, but he threw two strikes to WR Van Jefferson and TE Pat Freiermuth in the third quarter to put the game to bed.

Perhaps the worst thing for the Eagles this Sunday is that T.J. Watt didn’t register a sack last week, so he’ll be hungry to add to his current 9.5 tally. Not to be overlooked, Cameron Heyward is right behind him with 8.0 to his name.

Philadelphia Eagles

The mood around the Eagles organization after last week’s 22-16 win over the Panthers is one of the reasons why maybe not everyone is buying into Philly this season.

Make no mistake about it: this is a very good team that they can beat anyone on any given Sunday. They may very well end up winning the Super Bowl this year. But to hear from the locker room after the game about how WR A.J. Brown feels the passing game needs improvement (to be fair, that element and Jalen Hurts have not been great this season), one would be forgiven for thinking the club was 2-11.

True enough, Brown, DeVonta Smith, or Dallas Goedert are not going to break any records this season. But that’s also the Saquon Barkley factor. Here is a running back in the conversation for league MVP. Clearly, there are some frustrations, but at the end of the day, this is a dangerous team with a serious chance of celebrating under confetti in February.

Who Will Win Steelers vs. Eagles?