Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Preview 2021

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the NFL’s top teams, both recently and historically. Pittsburgh has won six Super Bowls, tied with the New England Patriots for the most all-time. Their most recent win was in 2009, in a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. 

Since Mike Tomlin took over as head coach in 2007, Pittsburgh has yet to finish the regular season with fewer than eight wins. The Steelers have made the playoffs nine times in that span, winning seven division titles. 

Looking for an eighth division title in the Tomlin era, the Steelers will be a formidable opponent this season.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 Schedule

There’s no nice way to put it: Based on 2020 records, the Steelers will have the most difficult schedule in 2021. In part, this is due to how good the AFC North is expected to be. 

Here is a quick look at the Steelers’ divisional schedule:

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 Summary

The 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers nearly had it all: An aerial attack that kept opponents guessing, a defense that stifled opponents and a coaching staff that developed young players brilliantly to set the team up for success. They started the season scorching with an 11-0 record. There was genuine hope for an undefeated season.

But their biggest weakness, the running game, ultimately became their downfall.

Pittsburgh’s 35 passing touchdowns tied them for sixth-most in the NFL, but the backfield tandem of James Conner and Benny Snell Jr. was largely ineffective. The Steelers finished last in the NFL in rushing yards (1,351), and yards per attempt (3.6). They also had the second-fewest rushing first downs (81) and fourth-fewest rushing touchdowns (12).

The Steelers suffered their first loss in Week 13, a 23-17 defeat at the hands of the Washington Football team. Washington held the Steelers to just 21 rushing yardson 14 attempts, and with that level of one-dimensionality, it’s hard for any team to win.

Future opponents followed Washington’s game plan, and the Steelers finished12-4, losing 24-22 on the road to the Cleveland Browns in the regular-season finale.

As fate would have it, the Steelers got a chance at a rematch the following week, playing host to the Browns in the first round of the playoffs. However, Cleveland was too much for a battered Steelers team and rolled to a 48-37 victory.

Pittsburgh Steelers Key Players

To address their anemic run game, the Steelers selected running back Najee Harris in the first round of the NFL Draft. Harris was part of a national championship team at Alabama, posting 1,466 yards rushing, 425 yards receiving and 30 touchdowns last season.

Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is back in the fold after signing a one-year deal to stay in Pittsburgh. Smith-Schuster tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns and finished third in receiving yards behind Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. It may be the best receiving trio in the league.

Defensively, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick lead a lights-out Steelers defense, making plays all over the field. Watt tallied a team-high 15 sacks while Fitzpatrick led the Steelers in combined tackles (79) and interceptions (four), including a pick-six.

Pittsburgh Steelers New Additions

• Kalen Ballage, RB
• Chaz Green, OT
• Najee Harris, RB (2021 first round draft pick)
• Melvin Ingram, LB
• Arthur Maulet, S
• Trai Turner, G

Pittsburgh Steelers Key Subtractions

• Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, LB (signed with the Tennessee Titans)
• James Conner, RB (signed with the Arizona Cardinals)
• Sean Davis, S (signed with the Indianapolis Colts)
• Bud Dupree, LB (signed with the Tennessee Titans)
• Matt Feiler, OL (signed with the Los Angeles Chargers)
• Mike Hilton, CB (signed with the Cincinnati Bengals)
• Devlin Hodges, QB (signed a futures contract with the Los Angeles Rams)
• Alejandro Villanueva, OT (signed with the Baltimore Ravens)

AFC North Divisional Outlook

If last season’s results and the preseason NFL odds are any indication, the AFC North race will once again be a tight one. The Baltimore Ravens are ever-so-slightly favored over the Browns at +125; Cleveland checks in a touch behind at +135. The Steelers are +300 and the Cincinnati Bengals are a longshot at +2500.

However, given their incredibly challenging schedule, the Steelers’ win/loss total is set at just 8.5. The Ravens’ over/under win total is set at 11.5. Cleveland’s is at 10.5, and Cincinnati at 6.5.

Pittsburgh Steelers Offense

The offense should show a bit more balance between the passing and rushing games this season, especially after taking Harris to address the run-game woes. Pittsburgh also signed Kalen Ballage to provide additional running back depth behind Harris and Snell.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is set to start his 18th season under center, and while his arm strength and accuracy have dropped off a bit, his talented receivers should be more than capable of accommodating him.

Keep an eye on the offensive line, where rookie Kendrick Green appears to be in line for the starting center position. Green, who was selected in the third round, played both center and guard at Illinois and was one of the better run-blockers in the 2021 draft.

Pittsburgh Steelers Defense

On the defensive side, the Steelers are an electric all-around unit. Utilizing a 3-4 scheme, Pittsburgh’s athletic linebackers are tasked with making big plays, and they often do.

Pittsburgh allowed the third-fewest yards and tied for the league lead in interceptions with 18. It finished second in total takeaways behind only the Miami Dolphins.

Cameron Heyward is a key piece of the defensive line. Despite not being a pass rusher as an interior defensive lineman, Heyward finished third on the team in quarterback hits. He also led the team in assisted tackles, stuffing would-be rushers at the line.

Newcomer Melvin Ingram makes an already strong linebacker group even deeper. After a down 2020 season with the Chargers, Ingram should bounce back in Pittsburgh. He posted at least seven sacks in each of the previous five seasons.

Joining Fitzpatrick in the secondary, cornerback Joe Haden is one of the league’s top veterans. Whether breaking up passes, turning interceptions into defensive scores, or providing support in the run game, Haden is another big-time playmaker who adds versatility to the unit.

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