With 11 games on Saturday’s NFL Preseason schedule, football fans and bettors have no shortage of options to check out throughout the day. Week 2 of the exhibition slate means starters may see an extra series or two as teams work their guys back to game speed. This evening, the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Here’s a prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this Steelers vs. Buccaneers matchup at Acrisure Stadium.
Steelers vs. Buccaneers prediction, preview
Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers’ journey to Pittsburgh may have stolen headlines over the offseason, but it’s another quarterback who stole the show to begin the Steelers’ NFL Preseason schedule. The team downed the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-25 last week as they leaned on the passing game behind backup QB Skylar Thompson. The former Miami Dolphin didn’t show much through his first years in the league but exploded for 233 yards and three touchdowns while completing 20-of-28 passes. He’ll have another chance to show what he can do tonight as most starters sit again, especially with rookie Will Howard still sidelined due to a broken finger.
It’s worth keeping an eye on this backfield. Kaleb Johnson will certainly have the upper hand after the Steelers selected him in the third round of the draft, but he took his eight carries for just 20 yards in his NFL debut while catching one pass for six yards. Trey Sermon and Evan Hull both spent time on pro rosters over the last couple of years but produced seven yards each on three and six carries apiece. All rushers were outgained by Lew Nichols, who took six touches for 31 yards in the opener. One more note — wideout Roman Wilson missed all of 2024 due to injury but caught a pair of passes for 24 yards against the Jags. He’s a player to watch this evening, hopefully in a larger role.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers dominated the Tennessee Titans last week to open their own schedule, winning that contest 29-7. Most of the starters took the day off, but Saturday brings the first action for almost everyone besides Mike Evans and Lavonte David. Baker Mayfield will open the game but likely won’t stay in for long, leaving Kyle Trask to try and follow up last week’s efficient outing of 129 yards with 12 completions on 16 attempts.
Halfback Bucky Irving should play alongside Mayfield and the other first-teamers, but Trask may still have some weapons to work with. Sean Tucker took 13 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown against the Titans while Owen Wright produced 87 yards and a score on 18 attempts. In the receiving game, Ryan Miller paced the Bucs with 66 yards on six catches. However, first-round pick Emeka Egbuka hauled in a 21-yard grab and should see some more work as he gets comfortable with the route tree alongside Jalen McMillan.
Steelers vs. Buccaneers pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists Tampa Bay as 2.5-point favorites on Saturday with -148 odds on the Moneyline. The Steelers hold +124 odds to win with a game total of 39.5 points.
The NFL Preseason brings challenges for bettors since proven stars don’t tend to see the field much, if at all. Instead, these exhibitions serve as an opportunity for young talent to see valuable reps against live competition as fringe players compete for roster spots on the final 53-man depth chart.
We’re seeing that in action with the Steelers as they continue to give Rodgers and Co. the day off. However, the Buccaneers’ starters should come in and do some damage while they’re on the field — after all, this was one of the NFL’s most potent offenses last season. While former offensive coordinator Liam Coen moved on to take Jacksonville’s head coaching job, the team didn’t struggle to put up points last week even with some lesser talent out there.
The Skylar Thompson show was fun for Pittsburgh last time out, but Tampa Bay could run away with this one just due to the depth they have.
