It's hard to say much bad about the Pittsburgh Steelers. They've been the model franchise in the NFL for the past half century, and they should continue their winning ways in 2017. That said, they're facing one of the highest regular season win totals in the NFL at 10.5, and they've got their work cut out for them to beat this number even though they're favored to do so.
Pittsburgh Steelers Futures Odds at BookMaker.eu
Steelers Over 10.5 Wins -130
Steelers Under 10.5 Wins +100
2017 Steelers Offense Preview
Fantasy footballers understand that this offense is one of the most devastating in the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger isn't afraid to chuck the ball all over the yard, and Le'Veon Bell is one of the most utilized running backs out there. This is a rare one-back system; James Conner will eat into Bell's productivity a bit, but Bell will touch the ball well over 300 times this year if he stays healthy.
Still, there are breakdowns that happen. Roethlisberger takes more hits than just about anyone else in the league, and it's because this offensive line has yet to really be rounded out. There's also a question as to whether the returning Martavis Bryant can get on the same page with Roethlisberger after Big Ben was so critical of his suspension last season. There are enough problems here to make us believe the Steelers are fallible on this side of the ball.
2017 Steelers Defense Preview
The one place the Steelers are generally pretty experienced is at linebacker. Sure, James Harrison is back for another go at it, but aside from his usage on passing downs, there isn't another man in this four-man group who has played in even 50 games in his career. There's talent here for sure, but it's raw talent now that Lawrence Timmons has packed his bags for Miami.
As always, there's going to be a lot of pressure on the corners. Artie Burns didn't have a great rookie season last year, but he and Ross Cockrell are really the only solid options at defensive back. If that goes south, Pittsburgh could once again have a defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league against the pass.
2017 Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule Analysis
The Steelers are probably getting as sweetheart of a deal for their schedule as you could have asked. Sure, they have to play against the Patriots and the Chiefs as first place teams, but they also draw the NFC North and the AFC South to play aside from their six divisional games.
If we're being honest, there aren't many games here in which Pittsburgh will be a dog. Perhaps Week 4 at Baltimore, perhaps Week 6 at Kansas City, maybe Week 10 at Indianapolis if the Colts can get their act together, then again in Week 15 at home against the Pats. That's probably it. The season does start out with six games out of nine on the road, but five of the last seven are at home, a place the Steelers typically get better and better at as the year wears on.
The Final Verdict
One look at the schedule, and it's easy to see 11 wins coming for Pittsburgh. But we think this team is vastly overrated. Roethlisberger only played in 14 games last season and 12 the year prior, and his completion percentage dipped to just 64.4 percent, as low as it's been since 2013.
Considering the fact that the oddsmakers have set Roethlisberger at just 13.5 starts this season, it's a pretty good bet he'll miss at least one or two crucial games due to injury somewhere along the way. Landry Jones is an awful backup, and we can't see him beating anyone more than maybe the Browns, Bears and Jaguars with this schedule. There are too many potholes for us. We'll go with under 10.5 wins at plus odds.
NFL Odds: Pittsburgh Steelers Under 10.5 Wins ( +100 )
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