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Is there anything worse than a false flag? That’s perhaps the best way to describe the euphoria of beating the Buffalo Bills back in Week 1, as the Pittsburgh Steelers opened their 2021 NFL campaign with a superb result on the road at Highmark Stadium. That game filled Steeler Nation with plenty of optimism, yet after three consecutive defeats completely changed that initially positive panorama, some fans began preparing themselves for what could be the first losing season since 2003.
Of course we all know that between then and now, the Steelers have reached the Super Bowl on three occasions and laid claim to the Vince Lombardi Trophy twice, which isn’t a bad going when all things are considered. Maybe a little more concerning under the tenure of Mike Tomlin as head coach is that over the last decade, the team has accumulated a .500 record of making the NFL Playoffs. Following two years without making the postseason party, the Steelers registered a positive 12-4 regular season in 2020 and won the AFC North, only to fall short in the Wild Card Playoffs (we know, we’ll stop reminding yinz).
Despite a strong sense of pessimism that inevitably followed the home defeats against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals (which only increased with the third loss in a row away at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers), there’s a glimmer of hope once more. Beating the Denver Broncos 27-19 and the Seattle Seawhaks 23-20 in OT (both at Heinz Field), has restored some much-needed confidence, even if it came at the high cost of losing JuJu Smith-Shuster to a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5.
Given the Steelers are now 3-3, they currently sit as the 7th seed in the playoffs if the regular season were to end today. Check out the NFL Playoff picture. That would be a spectacular turnaround for this team to make a postseason appearance after a 1-3 start. With 17 regular season games to play, this stage of the campaign is far from over.
Based on the possible, but probably unlikely potential of the Steelers reaching Super Bowl LVI, let alone lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy, they are priced anywhere from +7500 to +15000 in the futures market. The possibility of winning the AFC North remains open at best-priced +1800 odds, if the turnaround in form continues, although the Baltimore Ravens are tipped as favorites to hold onto top spot in the division. Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills are seen as leading bets for Super Bowl glory this season.
Interestingly enough, as mentioned, the Steelers busted the Bills up in Week 1, which made for a great way to start a campaign that soon turned sour. Three straight defeats then led to odds in the futures markets tumbling for Pittsburgh, while the loss for Buffalo was regarded as little more than a minor blip, having since won 4 of 5 of their subsequent games. After fighting to victory against the Broncos and Seahawks, the Steelers proved they’re far from done and dusted, while bookmakers are already taking note.
For all the latest odds and offers, SBO has compared all the best betting sites and ranked them for each country. This list is continually updated and rates every online sportsbook based on a wide variety of important factors, carefully appraising their overall quality of service. Going into more detail and helping those looking for specific elements, SBO also recommends where the most lucrative bonuses can be found, which sites have the most competitive odds, along with evaluating the performance of mobile apps.
Of course, all sites featured by SBO must be reputable and fully licensed with recognized gaming authorities, meeting stringent criteria for safety and integrity, while dedicated to protecting user data and privacy. Likewise, betting sites covered by SBO are always vetted for the consistency of their performance, the value of their odds and promotions, plus the transparency of their terms and conditions. Essentially, reputation and feedback are everything to SBO, ensuring that no bad bookies ever make list of the best in the business.
Where do yinz think the Steelers will finish in the AFC? Click to comment below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Of course we all know that between then and now, the Steelers have reached the Super Bowl on three occasions and laid claim to the Vince Lombardi Trophy twice, which isn’t a bad going when all things are considered. Maybe a little more concerning under the tenure of Mike Tomlin as head coach is that over the last decade, the team has accumulated a .500 record of making the NFL Playoffs. Following two years without making the postseason party, the Steelers registered a positive 12-4 regular season in 2020 and won the AFC North, only to fall short in the Wild Card Playoffs (we know, we’ll stop reminding yinz).
Despite a strong sense of pessimism that inevitably followed the home defeats against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals (which only increased with the third loss in a row away at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers), there’s a glimmer of hope once more. Beating the Denver Broncos 27-19 and the Seattle Seawhaks 23-20 in OT (both at Heinz Field), has restored some much-needed confidence, even if it came at the high cost of losing JuJu Smith-Shuster to a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5.
Given the Steelers are now 3-3, they currently sit as the 7th seed in the playoffs if the regular season were to end today. Check out the NFL Playoff picture. That would be a spectacular turnaround for this team to make a postseason appearance after a 1-3 start. With 17 regular season games to play, this stage of the campaign is far from over.
How sportsbooks value the Steelers
Based on the possible, but probably unlikely potential of the Steelers reaching Super Bowl LVI, let alone lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy, they are priced anywhere from +7500 to +15000 in the futures market. The possibility of winning the AFC North remains open at best-priced +1800 odds, if the turnaround in form continues, although the Baltimore Ravens are tipped as favorites to hold onto top spot in the division. Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills are seen as leading bets for Super Bowl glory this season.
Interestingly enough, as mentioned, the Steelers busted the Bills up in Week 1, which made for a great way to start a campaign that soon turned sour. Three straight defeats then led to odds in the futures markets tumbling for Pittsburgh, while the loss for Buffalo was regarded as little more than a minor blip, having since won 4 of 5 of their subsequent games. After fighting to victory against the Broncos and Seahawks, the Steelers proved they’re far from done and dusted, while bookmakers are already taking note.
For all the latest odds and offers, SBO has compared all the best betting sites and ranked them for each country. This list is continually updated and rates every online sportsbook based on a wide variety of important factors, carefully appraising their overall quality of service. Going into more detail and helping those looking for specific elements, SBO also recommends where the most lucrative bonuses can be found, which sites have the most competitive odds, along with evaluating the performance of mobile apps.
Of course, all sites featured by SBO must be reputable and fully licensed with recognized gaming authorities, meeting stringent criteria for safety and integrity, while dedicated to protecting user data and privacy. Likewise, betting sites covered by SBO are always vetted for the consistency of their performance, the value of their odds and promotions, plus the transparency of their terms and conditions. Essentially, reputation and feedback are everything to SBO, ensuring that no bad bookies ever make list of the best in the business.
Where do yinz think the Steelers will finish in the AFC? Click to comment below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
