Side And Player Prop For Seahawks And Steelers

Seahawks vs. Steelers, 1:00 ET

Another football Sunday is upon us, and if you're like me, you're looking forward to a much needed distraction from various aspects of life. I'm not talking about getting away from your family - that for me is actually the hardest part. I'm talking about not needing to worry about politics, violence, and other crap that is constantly filling our airwaves. Sure, there are divisive opinions, fights, and random talking heads that are annoying, but football, at least the games, can distract us. Today's distraction for me comes in the form of the Seahawks taking on the Steelers.

The Seahawks enter the game having lost their season opener to the 49ers. Geoff Clark brought up a good point to me on last week's podcast, mentioning that Seattle at home was once a great bet, but it hasn't been nearly as reliable lately. In the opener, Sam Darnold took the field for the first time as the Seahawks turned their offense over to him. Darnold looked more like a game manager than an aggressive quarterback. He was 16-for-23 for the game, throwing for only 150 yards. Their running game wasn't all that impressive either, getting just 84 yards on 26 attempts. They did get their lone touchdown from Zach Charbonnet on the rushing attack. It was also clear who Darnold has build a rapport with as he targeted Jaxon Smith-Njigba 13 times, more than all of his other receivers combined. The defense looked pretty solid for the game. They had two interceptions, but they couldn't do much with those and couldn't prevent the passing touchdown late in the game that ultimately cost them. 

(Amanda Loman/Getty Images)

The Steelers had the opposite type of game, especially for Pittsburgh. We've seen some good quarterbacks don the Black and Gold, but the team has been known to be a defensive team. It was their offense that saved the day, something they really haven't been able to say since Ben Roethlisberger was under center for them. Now that they have Aaron Rodgers at the helm, the expectation is that they will be a more competent offense. Rodgers looked great in his debut, going 22-for-30 and tossing four touchdowns. While none of them came to newcomer DK Metcalf, he did lead the team in targets with seven and had 83 yards. I expect him to be featured in this one. The bigger concern right now has to be the Pittsburgh defense. They allowed the Jets to score 32 points, which was rough, but it seemed like they couldn't get a stop when needed. I probably would've argued that the Jets and the Seahawks are about equal in terms of offensive possibilities before the season started as well, so I do have some concerns about the Steelers stopping the Seahawks complete here.

That would lead me to take the over, but I am not sure that's a great look. Playing at home is a significantly different feel than going on the road, facing a team with a lot of motivation in their season opener. I tend to not like taking teams that go on the road across country. I do feel very confident in one player prop, and confident in a side. I'm going to back Metcalf to score a touchdown, and I like the Steelers to win this game. Darnold might need one more week to adjust to this offense, and the Steelers defense should be better here. Back Steelers -3. 

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