The betting site DraftKings has released new 2023 win over/unders Saturday with the Pittsburgh Steelers right on the borderline of another winning season. According to the site, they’re setting the Steelers’ regular season win total at 8.5. That’s tied for last in the AFC North alongside the Baltimore Ravens’ projection.
Here are their odds for each North team.
Cincinnati Bengals – 11.5
Cleveland Browns – 9.5
Pittsburgh Steelers – 8.5
Baltimore Ravens – 8.5
That’s showing plenty of confidence in the Cleveland Browns with QB Deshaun Watson fully integrated with the team and not starting his season on the suspended list as he did in 2022. Still, it’s a little surprising to see the Browns get a full game above the Steelers and even the Ravens.
What’s no surprise is seeing the Bengals on top of the division. Not only are they AFC North favorites, they’re one of the top contenders in the AFC, making the AFC Title game in two straight seasons and the Super Bowl two years ago before falling to the Los Angeles Rams. The Bengals’ 11.5 win total line is tied for the best in football, equaling the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
For Pittsburgh, they’ve had a busy offseason with additions and subtractions to the team. Losing top CB Cam Sutton was an unexpected blow, him taking a three-year deal to the rising Detroit Lions, who DraftKings has at a hearty 9.5 wins in 2023. They’re looking for their first playoff appearance since 2016 and first playoff win since 1991, an unbelievable sports drought. But the Steelers have revamped their offensive line and inside linebacker room and have plenty of draft capital to work with, three picks in the Top 50 and four in the Top 80 of next month’s draft.
Pittsburgh had a tremendous second-half rally to finish last season at 9-8 and nearly sneaking into the playoffs. With Kenny Pickett the team’s clear-cut starter and hopefully less turbulence on offense, the team has greater hope in 2023. Still, the defense is experiencing a fair amount of turnover while the offense will have to show the firepower to average more than 18 points per game. Even when Pickett took over the offense, the Steelers struggled to score points or create splash plays.
The team’s with the lowest over/unders are the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans, both teams sitting at a 5.5 line.
