Contributors: Corey Eckenroth/Jeff Hartman/Dave Schofield

* DraftKings Sportsbook & Casino for all lines and odds. Odds are subject to change at any time

Who is this team we witnessed last weekend that scored 44 points in a single contest?

It sure wasn’t the 2021 Steelers.

Nor was it the 2022 version of the Men of Steel.

Neither was it the Kenny Pickett Steelers of 2023.

No, this was a Pittsburgh Steelers team that was supposed to be limping along this season, with a washed-up journeyman QB slated as the starter and a ‘never-was’ as his backup. A defense that was surely legit, but surely to be worn out by the end of every game as they did during the end of the 2023 season due to the lack of offensive identity.

What has transpired since can only be described as generational. This team, led by middling Coach Tomlin to all sorts of near .500 finishes over the recent years, has shown that Coach Tomlin is NOT a middling NFL Coach. Those tropes can finally be put to rest. This Steelers team has proven once and for all that Coach Mike Tomlin absolutely deserves any and all accolades the NFL shall choose to shower over him for whatever time immemorable.

This team is not full of Coach Cowher players, nor is it manned by the legendary 2008 defense, or by Big Ben Roethlisberger at QB. No, this Steelers team is firmly one built by Coach Tomlin, and it’s a team that naysayers have said would never come to fruition: success without the holdovers. No longer can Tomlin be judged because he won a Super Bowl “wItH cOaCh CoWheR’s PlaYeRs”.

Nor can his success be askerisk-ed (sp?) with successive 8-8 campaigns to lengthen what was a “face-palm” type of record most Steelers fans abhorred, but secretly admitted they liked, with Tomlin’s 17th successive season without a losing record.

This team has not had any real streak, hot or cold, during the season. Sure, there was winning 5 in a row, but a good Steelers team SHOULD do that consistently, at least once every other or 3rd year. Winning 5 games in a row in the NFL is no joke and takes talent, coaching, and game planning that most teams fail to achieve.

This year’s Steelers have that. They have methodically plodded and marched through their schedule to the tune of 9 wins so far, and they only lost their 3 games this year by 11 total points. If the defense doesn’t break down in the 4th Quarter against the Cowboys or Browns, the Steelers are sitting at 11 wins and standing toe to toe with KC for the Conference Crown.

No, this Steelers team is as locked in as I have seen a Pittsburgh team in quite some time.

I’m not sure anyone was anticipating how well this season has turned out so far for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I for one am going to continue to let it ride as we head into the home stretch and into the Playoffs! Let’s check last week’s bets!

Review

Corey – I liked the Steelers to come away with the win, but never did I expect Russell Wilson to drop over 400 Pass Yards in this game. It was a track meet from the word “go”, and by the end, it was the Steelers who sprinted across the finish line after busting off a 40 piece against a Bengals defense that we knew was bad, but… my God… yeah, I don’t think “bad” covers that defense.

In the end, that ugly defense provided a beautiful parlay win and we were like Uncle Moneybags from Monopoly sprinting to the bank with the wad!

• Najee Harris 70+ Yds Rushing (+120) – HIT
• Jaylen Warren 25+ Yds Receiving (+165) – HIT
• PIT Steelers Moneyline (+130) – HIT

Total Parlay Odds: +800

Winning Bet of $10 = $90.00

Jeff – Last week my parlay missed for the Steelers game vs. the Browns, but what else is new? There was a time when I felt like as the season progressed I was getting better at picking my spots, but that has not been the case. My parlay struggles continue…

Here was my parlay from last week:

3 Leg Parlay

• Jaylen Warren 40+ Rush Yards (+100) HIT
• Najee Harris 60+ Rush Yards (-170) MISS
• T.J. Watt Total Tackles + Assists OVER 3.5 (-110) HIT

Another parlay ruined, this one by the Pittsburgh Steelers offense not doing what we thought they would vs. the Browns defense. I had a good feeling the Steelers would be able to run the ball, hence why I thought both Najee and Jaylen would be able to combine for a minimum of 100 yards. Nonetheless, Najee’s 41 yards did me in, and you can chalk up another missed parlay to my record.

Dave – As I predicited, this was not good.

• CLE Total Points: UNDER 14.5 (+120) MISS
• Total PIT+CLE Touchdowns: UNDER 3.5 (+105) MISS
• Najee Harris Rushing yards: 80+ (+135) MISS

I said last week that I would not bet on Thursday Night Football, particularly in favor of the visiting team. In order to couteract this bet, I took CLE on the moneyline (which was the smart, single bet) and more than made up my money for this. I’ll say it one last time… don’t bet, especially parlays, on Thursday Night Football.

This Week’s Picks

Corey – The Cleveland Browns come to town fresh off of a 6 TD performance by Jameis Winston. Yes, two of those TD’s were Pick 6’s to the Denver defense, but TD’s are TD’s! It really does seem like Winston has a grasp of Kevin Stefanski’s offense that has eluded Deshaun Watson and his guaranteed albatross of a contract. But in any case, still scoring 30 against a quality Denver defense IS worth noting. The Pittsburgh defense is now ready for round two, and the opening line on this game (PIT -6.5 pts) reflects the money coming in for a supposed big Pittsburgh win.

Not sure how I feel about the point spread. In Winston’s first couple of games, he was hit or miss. 3 TD’s in a win vs the Ravens, but sloppy in a loss to the Chargers and New Orleans. Against the Steelers he started to find his rhythm and then last week he again was able to get the Browns to score in the mid 20’s. I feel like the Line is going to be dependent on who is available for the game. There was talk that Greg Newsome might miss the game, but if he plays, then my play on any Pickens parlay gets muted a little bit. It’s matchups like that one, that when considered in total, have me shying away from the Line. I’ll be going back to the basics to bring home the gold yet again.

• Russell Wilson OVER 250 Pass Yards (+135)
• Total Points OVER 43.5 (-112)
• George Pickens ANYTIME TD Scorer (+105)

Total Parlay Odds: +445

Winning Bet of $10 = $54.50

*** BONUS BET ***

This week I’m sprinkling extra on what I think will be a salivating odds pick. The Steelers are going to have to continue pounding the rock against this Cleveland defense, and I like this game for Najee to bust out a big game even though that Cleveland has done a decent job of keeping Najee hemmed in most games. Not this one. Najee might not hit 100 yards on the ground, Jaylen Warren will have something to say about that, but I DO like Najee to hit paydirt twice, and I like the odds to throw some extra cheddar on it. Book it!

• Najee Harris ANYTIME 2 TD Scorer (+500)

Jeff – This week’s parlay…which I again went conservative with, feels like a bunch of safe plays. I said the same thing last week, and we know how that played out. That’s fine with me, sometimes you just need to get a winner to get you off the losing streak.

3 Leg Parlay

• Jaylen Warren Rush + Receiving Yards: 59.5+ (-115)
• George Pickens Receiving Yards: 80+ (+100)
• Russell Wilson Passing Yards: 250+ (+165)

$10 bet = $60.00

Dave – Now that I’ve had a nice break, I’m ready to get back on track as the Steelers head to Cincinnati where they are 13-4 under head coach Mike Tomlin. I’m not betting the outcome of the game, but instead looking at points and performances. Varying my bet into different categories actually gives me better total odds despite the individual odds being lower than past bets.

• Jaylen Warren Receiving yards: 25+ (+170)
• PIT points scored: OVER 23.5 (+114) 
• Najee Harris Rushing yards O/U: OVER 61.5 (-120) 

Total Odds: +675

Winning Bet of $10 = $77.50

Are you buying our picks? What kind of parlay did YOU build this week? Let us know below and make sure to check out all of our other great content over at Steel Curtain Network and Fans First Sports Network, and make sure to check out the full lineup of all our great podcasts wherever you get your Pods!

*** If you or a loved one has a gambling addiction, please ask for help. Addiction to gambling (or to anything, for that matter) can be destructive to lives and families, so please partake responsibly! ***