In the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday, their offense got off to one of their slowest starts of the season in the first quarter. In fact, it was about as slow a start as any offense might muster, registering two three-and-outs and a four-play turnover on downs in Indianapolis territory. It was the first time in the 2025 season that the Steelers failed to score in the first quarter.
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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA.
Then, in the second quarter, they totally redeemed themselves. In three second-quarter drives, they scored a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a field goal, going into halftime with 17 points.
It’s been a welcome trend for the Steelers that hasn’t exactly been the case since the departure of Ben Roethlisberger: They’re scoring points early in games. Eight games into the season, they rank tied for eighth in first-half points with the Buffalo Bills at 13.9.
So why are NFL sportsbooks banking on the Steelers’ offense to come out slow in the first half against the Chargers on Sunday Night Football?
Particularly on BetMGM sportsbook, where the Steelers’ first-half total is set at 9.5 points, the Pittsburgh offense may not be getting enough credit for coming out of the gate quickly.
Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of the Steelers’ total points so far this season:
- Week 1 @ Jets: 17 points
- Week 2 vs. Seahawks: 14 points
- Week 3 @ Patriots: 14 points
- Week 4 vs. Vikings: 14 points
- Week 6 vs. Browns: 9 points
- Week 7 @ Bengals: 10 points
- Week 8 vs. Packers: 16 points
- Week 9 vs. Colts: 17 points
As you can see, only one time this year have the Steelers failed to score 10 or more points in the first half, eclipsing the 9.5-point total set by BetMGM all but once — that was against the Browns in Week 5. And it may not just have been that Cleveland has the second-ranked defense in the NFL in terms of yards per game this season; it’s also because it was rookie QB Dillon Gabriel’s second career start, and Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith took a more conservative approach to play-calling and game management.
BetMGM has -155 juice on the Steelers to score over 9.5 points in the first half against the Chargers on Sunday, and we like the over in this bet. BetMGM is also one of the best parlay betting sites online and has made this pick available to parlay with other same-game parlay wagers. So a bet for the Steelers to hit the first-half over combined with Pittsburgh to win the game, for example, would combine for +180 odds on the sportsbook.
Of course, like the aforementioned Browns, the Chargers have one of the stronger defensive units in the NFL, allowing the sixth-fewest yards per game in the NFL. And while they prevented their opponents from scoring 10 or more points in the first half in each of their first three games this year, something changed in Week 4. They allowed 13 points to the Giants’ offense in Jaxson Dart’s debut, and they’ve allowed 10+ points to their opponent in the first half in five of their last six games.
Take the Steelers to Score Over 9.5 Points in the 1st Half on Sunday
The line for Sunday night’s game in Los Angeles is set at either +2.5 or +3 with the Chargers favored to win, and most sportsbooks have the game total listed at 45 points. While the Steelers have a great shot at winning this game if their defense retains the elite form they showed against the Colts, we think it’s a pretty fair spread with Pittsburgh on the road.
But simply put, 9.5 points for the Steelers first-half total is just too low. Take the over and root for Pittsburgh to put up at least a touchdown and a Chris Boswell field goal in the first half on Sunday night.
