This Saturday we have a preseason clash between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.
Both head coaches will be looking to bounce back from defeat last week, and this should be an interesting matchup. Don’t miss our Bills vs. Steelers predictions and NFL picks for August 17.
Bills vs Steelers prediction
My best betSteelers -5.5 (-108 at BetRivers)
My analysis
It’s likely to be a tale of the quarterbacks here and both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills will be looking for improvement having been beaten convincingly last time out. Neither Sean McDermott or Mike Tomlin take preseason lightly and have solid winning records upwards of 60% at this time of year.
Last week we heard that Josh Allen would see action against the Bears and while he did get on the field, he only had three passing attempts (two completions). We don’t know if Allen will suit up on Saturday but we have to prepare for the fact that even if he does, he will see extremely minimal usage.
That means plenty of Mitch Trubisky, who went 10 of 18 for 82 yards against the Chicago Bears. With the news that Shane Buechele — who was 6-for-10 and threw an interception — has hit the IR, it means extended usage for Trubisky as well as a glimpse at Ben DiNucci. The latter played three games, one of which was a start, during an injury crisis for the Cowboys back in 2020.
Given how anaemic the offense looked against the Bears, we can’t expect too much from Buffalo. The quarterback play was woeful with the Bills’ six points coming from two Tyler Bass field goals.
For the Steelers, there’s far more to get excited about as a neutral. Last week we saw Russell Wilson rested thanks to a calf problem but he is expected to make his debut on Saturday, and it has been reported that he’ll play four series alongside the offensive starters.
The downfall of Wilson has been one of the saddest stories in the NFL across the past couple of seasons and he’ll be hoping that he can redeem himself here. With Justin Fields breathing down his neck, he can’t assume that he’ll be the starter come Week 1. News of the offensive starters getting four series is also positive for Steelers bettors, with that -5.5 line looking like one that could easily be covered, especially with the Bears putting 33 points on the Bills last week.
Kyle Allen played the bulk of the Steelers’ snaps against the Texans, going 17 of 23 for 193 yards, a TD, and an INT. With Wilson playing we’ll probably see a little less action for Allen and potentially an increase for Fields, who is said to have outperformed his QB rival in joint practice between the teams this week.
Wilson, Fields, and Allen is a capable QB corps and has far more depth than what is behind Josh Allen. We should see the Steelers cover on Saturday.
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Bills vs Steelers odds
Bills vs Steelers live odds
Bills vs Steelers opening odds
- Spread: Buffalo +1.5 | Pittsburgh -1.5
- Moneyline: Buffalo +100 | Pittsburgh -120
- Over/Under: Over 37.5 | Under 37.5
Bills vs Steelers betting trend to know
The Steelers are 41-21 straight-up under Mike Tomlin in preseason. Find more NFL betting trends for Bills vs. Steelers.
Bills vs Steelers game info
| Location: | Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA |
| Date: | Saturday, 8-17, 2024 |
| Kickoff: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ABC |
Bills vs Steelers weather
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Sam Farley
Betting Analyst
Sam is based in the United Kingdom, where he grew up living and breathing soccer, before discovering – and playing – a different kind of football at the University of Bristol. He’s worked in the media covering soccer and the NFL for the better part of a decade, and has been a regular on the Matchbook NFL Podcast. His work has also appeared in a wide range of publications including The Telegraph, The Independent, VICE, and MSN.
The search for great betting value is a daily one, and Sam always hunts out big prices with a particular focus on player props. Sam’s best advice for bettors is to track their bets on a spreadsheet, that way you can keep an eye on your P&L but also the types of bets and sports that you are most successful in. He also recommends using a variety of different sportsbooks, with bet365, Betfair and Paddy Power amongst his favorites.
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