The NFL Preseason is into its final week, meaning it’s time for one last tune-up before the real action kicks off in September. On Thursday, we have a four-game slate that begins with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills clashing at Highmark Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Here’s a prediction and pick for Steelers vs. Bills in the NFL Preseason on Thursday, courtesy of odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Steelers vs. Bills preview
The preseason really doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of things, so it shouldn’t be used as a measuring stick for a team’s future performance. However, for the clubs themselves, there are reasons that these games do matter – especially with the final week of games serving as a final opportunity to evaluate talent, potentially deciding position battles and depth moves.
The Steelers impressed to begin the preseason, downing the Green Bay 28-9. They followed it up with a letdown loss to the New York Jets, which came with a 17-0 final score. More starters suited up in the second matchup – including Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren in the backfield – but it didn’t necessarily mean better production in their limited action. It was also a less-impressive game from both Drew Allar and Will Howard at quarterback, with the former completing fewer than 50% of his passes for 110 yards while the latter was more efficient, but tossed two interceptions. They’ll likely continue to battle for the QB3 role on Thursday against Buffalo.
Will the starters see some work in the preseason finale? That remains to be seen, and head coach Mike McCarthy wasn’t particularly clear when speaking with the media. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see anyone not named Aaron Rodgers get at least a few snaps – especially since DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. just returned to practice after dealing with injuries, while Jalen Ramsey came off the PUP list. Expect Mason Rudolph to take the opening series, after which Allar and Howard should duel. For what it’s worth, Allar was a third-round pick this past April and popped in the first preseason matchup, so he does appear to have the upper hand.
For the Bills, they’ve enjoyed a pair of wins to get rolling in the preseason with a 29-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers before a 31-7 thrashing of the Cleveland Browns. Josh Allen saw action in the first outing but sat the second, and he’s not expected to play on Thursday, either. Who has stood out is quarterback Kyle Allen, who has been truly clinical in two appearances. He went 14-for-16 with 108 yards in the opener and followed it up with a 10-for-12 day for 128 yards and a score. That’s far better play under center than you typically see in the preseason.
Some starters should see a few snaps, per first-year head coach Joe Brady, but which ones actually get on the field is less clear at this time. One can assume key offensive talent like James Cook and D.J. Moore aren’t likely to play, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the majority of the offensive line and some defensive standouts take the turf as well. In any case, Buffalo has looked formidable in its first two preseason contests, even when the majority of the players on the field hail from deeper down the depth chart.
Steelers vs. Bills prediction, pick
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Bills as a three-point home favorite in this matchup with -152 odds to win on the Moneyline. The Steelers are a +127 road underdog with the game total set at 35.5 combined points.
To be clear, betting on NFL Preseason can prove very tricky. Established names don’t see much action, especially in the earlier weeks, and there’s much more variance in these games due to the roster shuffling and how deep of a player pool coaches draw from. Especially in the context of final roster cuts approaching in the coming days, that may ring even more true.
However, there’s no denying that Buffalo has been awesome in its first two showings of the preseason schedule. There’s something to be said about a team with a first-year head coach looking this cohesive from the jump, winning by double-digit margins in both of its matchups regardless of whether the starters suited up. Allen’s play in particular has been fantastic, so the 30-year-old veteran should provide a stabilizing presence given what he’s shown thus far. I fully expect the Bills to keep rolling on Thursday as they cover this three-point spread.
