Detroit Lions vs Pittsburgh Steelers Odds, Spreads & Picks
- The Detroit Lions visit the Pittsburgh Steelers to close out the NFL preseason
- All three Pittsburgh quarterbacks will play, as the starter position is still up for grabs
- See the Lions vs Steelers odds, who’s in and out, and our betting prediction
The games are literally for real, after the Detroit Lions visit the Pittsburgh Steelers to close out the preseason Sunday.
There’s still plenty up for grabs in the Steel City, though, including the starting quarterback position — something Mike Tomlin didn’t have to ever worry about the past 18 years with Ben Roethlisberger under center.
As for the Lions, many of their starters should see playing time, with one notable exception.
It all gets underway at Acrisure Stadium at 4:30pm ET, in a game that can be seen on CBS.
Temperatures are calling for clear skies and some hot weather: 92 degrees with nearly 23% humidity with 7 mph winds.
Lions vs Steelers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | +185 | +5.5 (-113) | Ov 39.5 (-108) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | -230 | -5.5 (-108) | Un 39.5 (-113) |
Odds as of August 28th at Barstool Sportsbook
The home team are 5.5-point favorites, a jump of a full point, which coincides with the Lions announcing that starting QB Jared Goff won’t be playing in the preseason finale.
Pittsburgh is looking to close out the preseason a perfect 3-0, which would give the Steelers an impressive 16-5 mark in their last 21 preseason games.
Trubisky vs Pickett for Steelers’ Starting QB
Perhaps in due time we might look back at this quarterback competition and wonder how first-round pick Kenny Pickett was even in a competition with journeyman Mitch Trubisky.
For now though, there’s a very real chance that the second pick in the 2017 NFL Draft lands the post-Ben gig. He’s gotten most of the first-team reps throughout camp, and has looked (mostly) competent in his limited work.
This might be the most Mitch Trubisky play of all time pic.twitter.com/c1uiluoTf7
— Jeremy (@JeromeyR0me) August 21, 2022
He was 4-for-7 for 63 yards and a TD toss in a 32-25 win over the Seahawks, and was 5-for-8 for 60 yards in a 16-15 win over Jacksonville.
Pickett has come on late, and made the most of his opportunities. He threw his third TD of the preseason against the Jags, part of a 6-for-7 passing performance for 76 yards.
With 24 days remaining until Steelers 2022 regular season football begins against the Bengals, here's the 24 yard TD pass from Kenny Pickett to Tyler Vaughns
against the Seahawks in the preseason opener. #HereWeGo #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/rPEJryyCJx— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) August 18, 2022
That’s after an impressive showing against Seattle, when the 20th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft went 13-for-15 for 95 yards and a pair of scores.
Mason Rudolph will also see time, but it seems like he’s destined to land third on the depth chart.
Blough vs Boyle For Lions’ Backup
With Goff entrenched as the starter, head coach Dan Campbell will give both David Blough and Tim Boyle the chance to earn the backup spot in the preseason finale.
They have both done well the previous two outings. Blough looked sharp in the opener, a 27-23 loss to the Falcons , throwing for 141 yards on 18-for-28 passing. He also ran for a team-high 22 yards on four totes.
Big day for EKU’s own Tim Boyle! 12-of-15 passing with this touchdown to lead the @Lions to their first win of the preseason! #EKU2NFL#E2W | #MatterOfPride
— EKU Football (@EKUFootball) August 20, 2022
Boyle threw for 111 yards and TD as well, while also tossing an interception. In last week’s 27-26 win over the Colts, Boyle went 12-for-15 for 99 yards and a TD, while Blough passed for 76 yards, with a TD and interception.
Lions vs Eagles Best Bet
It hasn’t really mattered who’s been in and out of the lineup, both rosters have been competitive in the preseason, and offensively top-end.
Detroit is putting up 362.5 yards of offense in two games and averaging 25 points a game, both ranking third in the preseason. Pittsburgh is fifth in yards (344), while tied for sixth in scoring at 24 points a contest.
St. X alum Desmond Ridder throws his first NFL preseason TD pass for the Falcons vs. the Lions pic.twitter.com/gHG7TbQK5O
— Tyler Greever (@Tyler_Greever) August 12, 2022
The difference might be on the defensive side: the Lions are still giving up more points than they are putting up this preseason, while the Steelers are right at 20 points a contest.
Motown has already allowed rookie Desmond Ridder to pick them apart, and Indy’s backup trio of Nick Foles, Sam Ehlinger and Jack Coan threw for 261 yards and three majors against them.
That’s enough to take the Steelers and the over in this one.
The Pick: Steelers -5.5 (-108) and OVER 39.5 (-108)
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Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
