When a season comes to an end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, speculation often runs riot. That’s especially the case if the campaign that’s just ended hasn’t been the most successful.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) tries to find space to run against the Buffalo Bills in their 2023 AFC Wild Card matchup in Orchard Park, NY.
Since the Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills in their Wild Card match, the rumors have been growing that Head Coach Mike Tomlin might be leaving. He’s been quick to make sure that he has no intention of doing so and will still be in his position when the next season begins in September.
The Steelers 2023 Season
It had all looked rather promising when seven of their first 11 matches of the new season ended in victory. The betting odds on them making it into the playoffs were originally in their favor.
Then December arrived and the Steelers didn’t have a good run of form. Home matches against the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots were both lost. A defeat on the road against the Indianapolis Colts left the Steelers with a 7-7 season record.
When there’s a run like that, you need to get out of it as soon as possible. The last three matches of the regular season were all won leaving the Steelers with a 10-7 record, led by Mason Rudolph. It was only enough to take them into a Wild Card match against Buffalo and that was lost, ending their season.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers QB Mason Rudolph (2) runs for a first down as he attempts to keep his team in the game vs. the Buffalo Bills.
Mike Tomlin's Future
20 consecutive non-losing seasons is an achievement, but fans want more than that. The pressure has therefore been mounting on Mike Tomlin, but he’s not in the mood to be leaving anytime soon.
When he attended the post match press conference, he left before being questioned on his future. That was hardly going to stop any speculation about whether he’d be in charge of the Steelers next season.
Tuesday, January 16 saw him speak to his squad and tell them that he had no intention of not being in charge for the new season. There will of course be speculation throughout next season as it’s the last year of his contract. A few poor results and the pressure will mount for a change at the top.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/8.13.23%20(71%20of%20318)-544x306.jpg "Steelers Mike Tomlin")
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin walks on the field at St. Vincent College as his players participate in 2023 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
While the season may be over for the Steelers, speculation on how to improve the squad will be commonplace.
Placing Bets for 2024
There are still many ways in which you can be placing bets on them with some of the top NJ sportsbooks. Betting on the NFL isn’t just about which team will win each match and who will win the Super Bowl. There’s far more available than that even when the season isn’t taking place.
The American gambling industry has seen massive changes in recent years. A 2018 US Supreme Court Judge ruling allowed individual states to be able to have the final say on whether or not to legalize sports betting.
That decision has led to over 30 US states taking that decision. Pennsylvania is on that list and this means fans of the Steelers can now legally place bets on the NFL.
Just one NFL match can see a multitude of markets being made available. You can bet on everything from the game line to who will win each quarter, points spreads, who’ll score the first touchdown, the first score of the match and which side will reach a certain number of points first.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg with many more available.
It’s all very different from the days when the NFL were opposed to gamblers being able to bet legally on sport. They feared that being able to do so would affect the integrity of the sport. Fortunately that hasn’t been the case.
Legalizing sports betting has in fact helped the NFL. Being able to legally gamble on the sport can add to the awareness of events. Then there’s the financial aspect of legalization to be considered as well. Teams such as the Steelers have signed lucrative partnership deals with gambling companies and that brings in much-needed revenue.
Another area in which you can place bets is on who the head coach of a side will be. If Tomlin was to leave, there’d be odds made available on who would replace him. There’d also be odds on which team the departed coach would next join.
The Pat McAfee Show
Steelers GM Omar Khan and HC Mike Tomlin joined The Pat McAfee Show to discuss their 2023 offseason.
While you’re waiting for the new season to begin, there’s the NFL Draft to consider. Odds are released by gambling companies on who will be leaving their team and joining a new club. It’s a great market to bet on and you’ll be following the latest news even more closely to see if you're a winner or not. The latest season may be over for the Steelers, but betting on the NFL most certainly isn’t.
