Now that Super Bowl LVI has come and gone, the attention shifts to the offseason — particularly free agency and the NFL Draft — for the beast that is the NFL.
While there’s still plenty of time between now and the start of the 2022 NFL regular season, featuring a number of roster changes, the Pittsburgh Steelers are starting to generate some buzz within the betting community.
Currently listed at +6000 to win Super Bowl LVIII in Arizona according to Caesars Sportsbook, the Steelers are considered one of the top five value plays in the NFL ahead of the 2022 season, largely due to their longshot odds. Though the Steelers are expected to roll with Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins as the quarterbacks heading into the season, things could change if the Steelers take a shot on a top signal caller like a Russell Wilson or Derek Carr on the trade market.
CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani seems particularly interested in the Steelers’ chances of winning Super Bowl LVII, especially with the +6000 odds, which is tied for 23rd in the NFL ahead of the 2022 regular season. The Steelers joined the likes of the San Francisco 49ers (+1400), Tennessee Titans (+2000), Denver Broncos (+2200), and New England Patriots (+2500) as some of the best betting value plays in the NFL.
“Here’s our $5 flier, but $5 on this line would net you $300. What do the Steelers have going for them? A great head coach in Mike Tomlin, a versatile running back in Najee Harris and the Defensive Player of the Year in T.J. Watt,” Dajani writes. “The factor which this flier bet hinges on is the new quarterback. If Pittsburgh wants to move forward with Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins, then go ahead and lose the ticket. But if the Steelers decide on someone else, it could get exciting.
“NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported in January that the Steelers are more likely to draft a quarterback than offer up a king’s ransom for a star. Sure, but what if Russell Wilson makes it known he wants to join the Steelers? Would that change the front office’s tune?”
The Steelers certainly have some solid pieces to work with moving forward, but as Dajani writes, if the Steelers go into the season with Rudolph and Haskins at quarterback, you can kiss that $5 goodbye.
Of course, it’s worth noting that the Steelers simply aren’t a QB away from winning a Super Bowl. There’s still plenty of real, concerning holes on the roster, including in the trenches on both sides of the football, as well as at wide receiver behind Diontae Johnson, inside linebacker, and cornerback, just to name a few.
Sure, a QB like a Wilson or Carr could prop the Steelers up some, but assuming that they’d all of a sudden turn the Steelers into a contender is a major reach at this point in time. Still, that’s a fun bet to throw $5 at, since you never know what can happen in the NFL year to year.
