Steelers vs Bills Odds: Favor Buffalo in NFL Clash
Bills are the Widest Favorites This Super Wild Card Weekend
Bills Favored By 10 Points Against Steelers
Well, that was fast. Buffalo is now Super Wild Card Weekend’s widest favorite at -10 versus Pittsburgh. The Bills won five straight games and edged Miami to capture the second seed in the AFC despite being 6-6 not too long ago. The Pittsburgh Steelers, however, have been on a roll. But the absence of star defender T.J. Watt makes this team tough to bet given the Steelers vs Bills odds.
Steelers vs Bills 
Records: Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), Buffalo Bills (11-6)
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Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, NV
Stream: CBS Network
Banged-Up Steelers Face Unflattering Odds
Had Watt been healthy for the Steelers, we may not see such one-sided line movement on the Steelers vs Bills odds . Alas, Pittsburgh is only 1-10 when the three-time All-Pro is not playing. The edge rusher has 96.5 sacks in just 104 games. He led the Steelers in sacks this season with 19.0 Pittsburgh’s pass rush will be mediocre without him.
And Watt is not the only notable player on the NFL injury report . Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is listed as “questionable” with a hurt knee. Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee are already sidelined on the other side as is inside linebacker Cole Holcomb.
Pittsburgh fought its way back to the playoffs. The team finished 10-7 on the NFL standings partly due to the strong play of quarterback Mason Rudolph and running back Najee Harris. The Steelers scored 34 against Cincinnati, 30 against Seattle, and beat Baltimore with 17 points.
“We’re just simply staying with the hot hand and not disrupting the apple cart,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said regarding Rudolph. “We’ve been in some tough circumstances. He’s delivered, we’ve delivered and so we will continue in that vein.”
Rudolph has completed 74.3% of his throws for three touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 118.0 passer rating in three starts. Harris has 312 rushing yards and four TDs since Rudolph took over at QB.
The duo will have to be on top of their game against a Bills defense that has carried the team in its five-game winning streak. They have held four of the last five quarterbacks to under 192 passing yards with opponents scoring 22 points or fewer. Judging by the low total of 36, the Steelers could meet a similar fate. However…
Will Bills’ Offensive Issues Trip Them Up?
The Bills’ clunky offense is also partly responsible for the weekend’s lowest total. This may be understated given how the Buffalo Bills are winning despite quarterback Josh Allen’s anxiety-inducing playmaking. The All-Pro QB has 11 total TDs against six turnovers, which include an equal number of passing TDs and interceptions (five apiece).
The win against Miami was a microcosm of how Allen has been for Buffalo. In that game, he threw two first-quarter interceptions in the end zone. But he also led all three scoring drives, two of which were his touchdown passes. A 96-yard punt return TD from Deonte Harty sealed Buffalo’s win.
“So proud of our guys,” Allen said following Buffalo’s 21-14 win over Miami “They battled their tails off. [In] the final couple of drives I felt we found a groove on the offensive side of the ball. The ball was coming out of my hands the best all year.”
Buffalo found its way back near the top of the NFL bracket by finding ways to win despite Allen’s rocky play. The running game, led by James Cook, has been a catalyst for the Bills. It’s not a coincidence the team is 9-2 in games where they outrush the opponent and 6-1 when Cook goes over his rushing yards-per-carry average (4.73).
The Steelers have a solid rushing defense giving up just 115 yards per game. Pittsburgh has outrushed seven of its last 10 opponents and has won six of these games. Keep an eye on the running games as this will impact the Steelers vs Bills odds .
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