With the Pittsburgh Steelers' schedule officially released on Thursday, along with everyone else in the NFL, oddsmakers have placed the official over/under win totals for 2023. The Steelers' total? 8.5. Since then, they've become the most-bet win total on DraftKings, something pointed out by ESPN's Brooke Pryor. Essentially, people think Pittsburgh will go at least 9-8.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin smiles on during 2022 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Throw ESPN's Mike Clay and Tyler Fulghum into that boat as well. Fulghum "guarantees" the Steelers will reach at least nine wins, while Clay predicts them at 9.1 specifically. They're not the only ones hyping up the black and gold as of late. Nearly everyone around the league touted Pittsburgh's draft class as arguably the best. That came after an impressive free agency period from General Manager Omar Khan.
"Put it in stone. Slap a 'Guaranteed' sticker on the box. If you read this column last year, you knew my favorite season-long win total bet was the Steelers over 7.5 wins. Of course, [Mike] Tomlin delivered nine wins with a rookie QB, a pretty poor offensive line and only 10 games with TJ Watt. I expect the offense to be much more explosive this season, and any defense led by Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick is going to be better than average," Fulghum said.
Per DraftKings, the Steelers at over 8.5 wins is the most-bet win total since last night’s schedule release at 8pm.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) May 12, 2023
Bears over 7.5, Lions over 9.5, Ravens over 9.5, and Packers over 7.5 round out the top-5.
While Pittsburgh hasn't been Super Bowl contenders for a few years now, coach Tomlin's squads are still good to bet on. They have one of the highest "floors" on an annual basis due to having one of the best coaches in the game in Tomlin. In his 16-year tenure, he's yet to coach a below-.500 team. As we know, things got close last season, but the team somehow finished 9-8.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett makes a throw on the run during 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett took over and was able to turn things around in the second half of the season. Since the end of the year, the front office has made some immense upgrades throughout the roster. The offensive line has seen major improvements, specifically on the left side. They have replaced the departures with more depth. All of it points to the team improving in Pickett's second season.
Is Steelers' 8.5 over/under total a bit too low?
With the team finishing 9-8 last season, it's reasonable to expect that record, if not better. In fact, this season's schedule seems much easier, at least initially. The Steelers will be playing the AFC South, regarded as arguably the worst division in football, along with the NFC West. While the NFC West may pose some challenges, including Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals have both fallen off recently.
What are your thoughts on people betting on the over 8.5 wins? Do you think that number is a bit low by DraftKings? What do you think the team's record will end up being in 2023? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites, yinz!
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