Betting on the underdog Steelers at home versus the Patriots

• Despite coaching the team since 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers are home underdogs for just the 20th time during Mike Tomlin’s tenure.
• If Tomlin’s history as a home underdog is any indication, betting on the Steelers outright against the New England Patriots may be a profitable Week Two bet.

PITTSBURGH – In a matchup between the two winningest teams since 2003, NFL sports betting sites have made the New England Patriots road favorites against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers moneyline

For just the 20th time in Mike Tomlin’s head coaching career, the Pittsburgh Steelers are home underdogs.

If history is any indication, that means betting on the Steelers moneyline is the best bet for the game, as the team has gone 12-7 outright over the previous 19 games as a home underdog under Tomlin. In games in which the Steelers are underdogs of 1.5 points or less, the Steelers are 5-0 straight up.

That history of home underdog success, as many two key trends suggest betting on Pittsburgh, or fading this year’s New England Patriots team, may be a strong bet:

• Betting on the Steelers at home: Pittsburgh is 22-7-1 straight up at home over their past 30 games. Over their past 30 road games, Pittsburgh is 14-16. Betting on the Steelers at home is always a strong option, no matter if they are favored or underdogs.
• Recent struggles for the Patriots: New England has gone just 1-5 overall in their past six games. The Patriot’s only win over that time was as a 17-point favorite against the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.

Differing Week One performances

Following Week One, it is evident that the Steelers may be a better team than originally thought, even without T.J. Watt. Pittsburgh was a 7-point underdog on the road versus the Cincinnati Bengals and won. The Steelers beating the Bengals in Week One was the largest upset during Week One based on that seven-point spread.

Minkah Fitzpatrick’s heroics during the game may be setting the tone for an incredible season, highlighted by his first-quarter pick-six and his game-saving block of the Bengals’ extra point with two seconds left in the fourth.

Overall, the Steeler’s defense forced five turnovers in Week One.

That defensive performance may be a bad omen for those betting on the New England Patriots, as their offense struggled greatly in their Week One 20-7 loss at the Miami Dolphins.

New England did not score until the 4:44 mark in the third quarter, and playing a defense led by Fitzpatrick may not make it any easier.

Betting on those continued struggles for the New England offense against the Steelers defense, coupled with Pittsburgh’s greatness as a home team, means betting on the Steelers to win as an underdog is the best bet for this Week Two matchup.

Brett Crown

Brett has been writing professionally since November of 2021. He had such a passion for sports he even decided to major in Sport Management from Florida State University! When not writing about sports, Brett loves playing DFS, bowling, and golfing.