The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to Lumen Field this Sunday to take on the Seattle Seahawks in a Week 17 showdown that holds major playoff implications for both sides.
These squads are each coming off big wins over Christmas weekend. Seattle got two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Geno Smith and squeaked past the Titans 20-16.
Meanwhile, Mason Rudolph stepped into the starting quarterback role for the first time in over two years and helped lead the Steelers to a 34-11 victory over the Bengals.
Both teams currently sit at 8-7 with just two weeks left in the regular season. After seeing which side oddsmakers give the edge to in our Week 17 NFL odds, let’s go over our predictions and best bets for Steelers vs Seahawks.
Steelers vs Seahawks Odds
NFL odds used for this Pittsburgh vs Seattle preview were found at DraftKings Sportsbook and are current as of Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 8 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Seahawks (-175) • Steelers (+145)
- Spread: Seahawks -3.5 (-105) • Steelers +3.5 (-118)
- Total Points: Over 41 (-110) • Under 41 (-110)
- Implied Score: Seahawks 22.25, Steelers 18.75
Steelers vs Seahawks Predictions
Score Pick: Seahawks 24, Steelers 21
Despite nearly a full season of information, it’s fair to say that no one truly knows what to expect from these teams in any given week.
The Seahawks miraculously find themselves on a two-game winning streak after losing four straight from Weeks 11 through 14. They got back on track by earning an improbable victory over the Eagles when backup quarterback Drew Locke threw a game-winning touchdown pass with less than 30 seconds remaining.
Now the Seahawks have a chance to make it three straight against a Steelers squad decimated by injuries. Mike Tomlin’s offense will likely be without Kenny Pickett, who has missed the last three contests after injuring his ankle against the Cardinals back in Week 13. Rudolph is once again expected to start for Pittsburgh after completing 17 of 27 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals.
It was arguably the best game we’ve seen from any Pittsburgh quarterback this season, but a repeat performance against Seattle is asking a lot. After allowing over 29 points per game during their four-game losing streak, the Seahawks have allowed just 34 combined points over the last two. They held Jalen Hurts and Ryan Tannehill to under 200 yards each, and neither QB threw for a touchdown.
To make matters worse for Pittsburgh, safety Jamal Adams and cornerback Devon Witherspoon could return to a Seattle secondary that has been playing lights out over the last two games. I believe Rudolph will struggle to find the same success he had last week, and Pete Carroll’s squad will do just enough to pull this out.
Steelers vs Seahawks Best Bets & Props
Steelers +3.5 (-118)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
The unpredictability of these teams tells me that the Steelers will find a way to keep this one close. Grabbing them at +3.5 is my NFL bet of the day.
Injury news could affect the line, but this seems like a good spot to back the big-play ability of guys like George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, and Najee Harris. They have kept Pittsburgh in many games this season and should do so again here. On top of that, the Steelers’ defense has been one of the best at creating turnovers.
Over 41 (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
Neither side has a particularly good O/U record, with the Steelers being just 5-10 and the Seahawks sitting at 6-9. Even so, these teams should surpass the point total of 41 – but maybe not by much.
Taking the Over with two inconsistent offenses is certainly a gamble, but these squads should be able to capitalize on the mistakes and sloppy football we’re bound to see in this one. Although the Seahawks have failed to find their offensive rhythm lately, they’re still scoring 21.3 points per game.
Their contests average nearly 45 points this season, while Steelers’ games are under 37. With this essentially being a must-win for both sides, I believe we’ll see aggressive offenses and the Over hitting.
Seahawks Over 20.5 (-142)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 2 units
The Seahawks’ offense has not surpassed 20 points since Week 13. After two straight games of scoring 20, Smith and his teammates figure to get it done here.
The former second-round pick returned to action last week after missing two games with a nagging groin injury. Seattle’s offense had scored just six points through three quarters before those two touchdowns in the fourth ultimately delivered the win.
Smith and running back Kenneth Walker have a great opportunity to put up points against a Steelers defense with significant injuries. The secondary will likely be missing both safeties again, as All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick is dealing with a knee injury and Damontae Kazee has been suspended for the remainder of the season.
Steelers vs Seahawks Same-Game Parlay
Steelers vs Seahawks SGP (+340)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 units
- Steelers Over 14.5 (-218)
- Over 36 (-233)
- Seahawks Over 20.5 (-142)
- Steelers +3.5 (-118)
Utilizing DraftKings’ alternate game lines, we constructed this four-leg Steelers vs Seahawks same-game parlay with juiced odds.
For the first three legs, I decided to go with alternates significantly lower than the implied totals set for this contest. But adding the Steelers +3.5 as the fourth leg brings this to an appealing +340. Since the first three might get home with relative ease, it could just be a matter of Pittsburgh keeping it close at the end.
