The Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks will face each other in Week 6 of the NFL regular season Sunday night. There is a lot going on with both teams, with each looking to improve from their 2-3 starts. For the Seahawks, they are wondering if Geno Smith will be able to keep up in place of the injured Russell Wilson, out following surgery to a dislocated right middle finger. For the Steelers, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster won’t be as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
Grunge Match Coming for Steelers and Seahawks Fans
The Steelers are beginning to show signs of improvement following their Week 5 win over the Denver Broncos. However, they need to increase the pressure, as the Seahawks are looking for revenge following their loss to the LA Rams last week.
In addition to not having Wilson, Seattle is also without Chris Carson, out with a neck injury that has kept him away from the field for a couple of weeks. Alex Collins, DeeJay Dallas, and Travis Homer tried to fill his place against the Rams but couldn’t get the job done.
These two teams have a long history together that dates back almost 35 years. The Steelers had the advantage early on, but the Seahawks caught up and eventually moved ahead. Now, Seattle is in the lead, 10-9. That record is overshadowed by the biggest loss of all. The Steelers defeated the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, 21-10, showing a dominating offense that is likely to be seen once again today.
Both Teams Struggle to Find Balance
The Steelers and Seahawks both are 2-3 this year, but the Steelers have been able to run away with more games. Pittsburgh’s point differential is -18, while Seattle’s is -6. Overall, the Steelers’ opponents this season have combined for 17-8, with a point differential of 132. The Seahawks’ opponents, on the other hand, are 12-13 and carry a 9-point differential.
Pittsburgh has been able to move the ball consistently, averaging 5.2 yards per play. That will be important today, as the Seahawks defense has been giving up an average of 6.2 yards per play. Conversely, Seattle’s offense averages 6.5 yards per play this season, and the Steelers defense has given up an average of 5.7 yards with each snap.
In the red zone, the Seahawks have been able to convert important offensive plays and currently rank only behind three teams – the New Orleans Saints, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Cincinnati Bengals – in terms of red zone conversions. The Steelers, however, are 19th after having only converted 60% of their attempts so far. Both teams are rated near the top on red zone defense – the Steelers are fifth, and the Seahawks are sixth.
Money’s On the Steelers and the Under
Both the Seahawks and the Steelers have some interesting stats for bettors. Against the spread (ATS), the Seahawks are 2-5 in their last seven games, but 8-4 against Pittsburgh. The Steelers are 4-8 ATS across their last 12 and 2-5 in their last seven home games. The Over/Under for this game is 42.5, and most oddsmakers believe the total will go over. For both teams, the under has hit in several categories – games played in October, last five, NFC contests, and more.
The Steelers are getting around -215 at most books and shouldn’t have any trouble winning. In a low-scoring game, though, the Seahawks will be able to cover the 5-point spread.