Steelers Odds to Win AFC North Listed at +700 with Roethlisberger Out for Season

• Steelers opened the 2019 season as +150 co-favorites to win the AFC North
• Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2
• Sophomore QB Mason Rudolph steps in as number-one pivot in Pittsburgh

The landscape in the AFC North drastically shifted on Monday following the devastating news that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would miss the remainder of the NFL season.

The two-time Super Bowl champion suffered an elbow injury in a Week 2 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The team announced Monday morning that Big Ben will require season-ending surgery.

Shortly after the news broke, sportsbooks released their updated NFL divisional odds, listing the now 0-2 Steelers at +700 to win the AFC North.

2019 NFL Divisional Odds

Odds taken September 16.

The Steelers opened the NFL season as co-favorites to win the AFC North alongside the Cleveland Browns at +150, before dropping to +190 following a Week 2 loss to the Seahawks.

That line plummeted to anywhere from +600 to +700 on Monday.

Division Wide Open After Big Ben Injury

Since 2009, the AFC North has bounced back and forth between the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals. Pittsburgh has won four division crowns during that span, while Baltimore and Cincinnati have won three each over the last 10 years.

Roethlisberger is coming off a career-best season where he led the NFL in passing yards (5,129) to go along with 34 TDs. In two starts this season, Roethlisberger completed 35-of-62 pass attempts for 351 yards. He failed to throw a touchdown before going down with the injury — marking the first time in his 16-year career he will finish a season without a touchdown pass.

https://twitter.com/DylansRawTake/status/1173679981232295939

Once boasting a “Big Three” of Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le’Veon Bell, the Steelers will finish the 2019 season without a single “Killer B” on the field.

Steelers Heavy Underdogs In AFC North

According to CBS SportsLine’s latest forecast, the Steelers are now projected to finish with 6.6 wins on the season, which would ultimately take them out of AFC North contention.

With Big Ben out for the year, in steps backup Mason Rudolph — a second-year quarterback known more for his accuracy and ball-protection than having a strong arm. Even though the two QBs are similar in stature (6-foot-5, 235-plus pounds) it will be difficult for Rudolph to produce the same numbers as his Roethlisberger out of the gate.

Rudolph has some pedigree, though. The Steelers traded two draft picks in 2018 to select him in the third round, so they do think highly of the young QB. However, it’s going to take Rudolph a handful of games to learn the offense during game situations and there will likely be some growing pains along the way.

With the Steelers now considered heavy underdogs, what other teams are worth betting on in the division?

Here's a video of the Ben Roethlisberger injury.pic.twitter.com/PsP1Z1Rhxy

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 15, 2019

The Ravens are the obvious choice after starting the season at 2-0. Now listed at -125, there is still value in putting your money on the Ravens, who have scored 82 points in two games while only allowing 27 for a differential off +55 — the second-best in the NFL behind New England (+73).

Baltimore ranks first in all-purpose yards (1,083) — 636 of which have come through the air. Leading the way offensively is rookie Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, whose 233 receiving yards ranks third overall in the league. This is no longer the one-dimensional, ground-based attack it was in Lamar Jackson’s first year.