The Buffalo Bills travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday in a rematch of the AFC Wild Card round in last season's playoffs. Both teams have said their starters will get playing time at the beginning of the game. Russell Wilson will make his Steelers debut and Josh Allen will also see some action.
Let's dive into my Bills vs. Steelers prediction.
Bills vs. Steelers Prediction
Pick: Steelers ML -125
Bills vs. Steelers Odds
| Bills Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -115 | 36.5 -105o / -115u | +175 |
| Steelers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -105 | 36.5 -105o / -115u | -210 |
Bills vs. Steelers Betting Trends
- 51% of the bets and 41% of the money is on the Bills to cover the spread.
- 59% of the bets and 68% of the money is on the under.
All data via Action Network's public betting percentages and as of Saturday afternoon.
Dylan Wilkerson's Bills vs. Steelers Preview
It's hard to envision a world in which Allen is on the field for an extended period of time. Bills head coach Sean McDermott had a similar game plan for Buffalo's matchup against the Bears, and Allen only ended up playing one quarter. In that quarter, he only threw three passes, which makes sense. There is no need to keep Allen on the field for an extended period of time.
On the other hand, this is an opportunity for Wilson to sync up with his offensive line and receivers. Sure, he has had plenty of time in camp to do so, but getting in real-tempo reps could prove invaluable for the veteran and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin in deciding who should start at quarterback.
McDermott said Allen and the starters will play, “a quarter and a half.” Meanwhile, Tomlin said Wilson will “be a participant” as long as he does not aggravate his calf injury before kickoff.
The Bills' rushing attack stalled last week and only gained 77 yards against the Bears. The Steelers only allowed Houston to rush for 80 yards, so I can’t imagine the Bills will have any more success on the ground than they had a week ago. Conversely, the Bills allowed the Bears to run all over them. Chicago averaged 4.7 rush yards per play and totaled three rushing touchdowns against Buffalo. Pittsburgh will likely see similar success as it was able to establish the run last week against Houston.
The Steelers’ quarterback depth is also superior to the Bills’. After Wilson, the Steelers will be turning the ball over to Justin Fields, Kyle Allen and John Rhys Plumlee. Allen is no stranger to preseason action and amassed 64 pass attempts last preseason. He also threw Pittsburgh's only passing touchdown last week. Across the field, the Bills have Mitchell Trubisky and Ben DiNucci waiting in the wings.
As the Steelers work their way down the depth chart, there is competency and options. We can't say the same for the Buffalo Bills.
How to Watch Bills vs. Steelers Start Time, Channel, Location
Bills vs. Steelers will be broadcast live on NFL Network and available to stream on NFL+. Bills-Steelers is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
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My Bills vs. Steelers Prediction
I'm not sure we'll see Allen as much as McDermott has promised. Once the QB1's day is done, the Bills offense looks like it will falter.
The Steelers have more options available and the motivation to get Wilson acclimated with his new teammates. I expect that Pittsburgh will be in control for the bulk of this matchup.
Pick: Steelers ML -125
