Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills Betting Preview/Player Prop

A pair of 2020 AFC Playoff teams are set to meet up on Sunday in a Week 1 NFL matchup that should be terrific. The Buffalo Bills host the Pittsburgh Steelers, and this will be one of the best games of the entire opening weekend.

Pittsburgh won the AFC North a season ago after rattling off 11 straight wins to begin the year. The Steelers are looking for a similar start in 2021, but Pittsburgh hopes to have a much deeper run in the postseason.

Buffalo advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game a season ago, and the Bills return nearly the same time. This is a team that is getting plenty of love and recognition in the preseason, and they are always tough to beat at home.

The Buffalo Bills are 6.5-point favorites at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers Missing Defensive Star

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not expected to have linebacker T.J. Watt on the field when they begin the 2021 season. Watt is currently in a contract dispute with the team, and his absence will leave a massive hole in the middle of that defense.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger continues to play well for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he is starting to get up there in age. Pittsburgh does have some playmakers on the outside, and they are going to have to hit on some deep balls.

Running the football was a big challenge for Pittsburgh a season ago, and that has to be improved this season. The Steelers will need to win the time of possession battle to keep this game close.

Bills Can Be Explosive

The Buffalo Bills were one of the most explosive teams in the NFL a season ago, and they should put up similar numbers this season. This team can run the ball with Devin Singletary or Zack Moss, but they want to throw it deep as well.

Quarterback Josh Allen is a popular pick to win NFL MVP this season, and he is a dual-threat at that position. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been terrific in a Bills uniform, and he is a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Buffalo is going to win games with its offense, but the defense has a chance to be terrific as well.

Bills Blow Out Steelers

The absence of T.J. Watt is a big problem for the Steelers, especially as they are taking on an explosive offensive team. Pittsburgh just doesn’t have an offense capable of keeping up with the Bills, and they need to control the pace on Sunday.

Buffalo is loaded with weapons, and Josh Allen is one of the best in the league at this position. This Bills team is going to put up a ton of points in Week 1, and they also have a defense capable of completely shutting down the Steelers.

Take the Buffalo Bills -6.5 as they are able to pull away in the second half and cruise to a double-digit victory in Week 1.

Player Prop

Ben Roethlisberger (-162) Over 1.5 Passing TDs

Hard to believe Roethlisberger is entering his 18^th season in the league. But there were times he looked every bit his age last year as he struggled to come back from a major elbow injury in 2019.

His 6.3 yards per attempt was down significantly from previous years and his 9.5 yards per completion was the worst of his career and the first time he finished in single digits in that category.

Still, even with all the question marks surrounding his health, the veteran QB still managed to find the end zone 33 times against only 10 INTs. And the Steelers believe his arm strength should be much better in 2021 than it was last year.

We’ll bank on Big Ben (-162) continuing to keep Father Time at bay and open up with over 1.5 TD passes against the Bills.

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