Seattle Seahawks (2-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3)
Sunday, October 17, 8:20PM ET
If the Seattle Seahawks had Russell Wilson, this would be a different story. But while Geno Smith held his own after stepping in for Wilson in Week 5, there’s no way he’s going to shine against one of the best defenses in the NFL.
It’s going to be a big game for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could use an additional confidence boost after finally snapping their three-game losing streak. It won’t be easy with JuJu Smith-Schuster now done for the year, but Ben Roethlisberger will make it work — he’s got one of the league’s most exciting young running backs to lean on.
Furthermore, the Steelers have an outstanding defense that can easily keep Smith in check. That’s not to say he won’t make a few plays and throw a touchdown or two, but he doesn’t pose the threat that Wilson does. T.J. Watt and Co. will bottle him up and keep the scoring to a minimum.
I’m still not sure if the Steelers are a contender this year — I’m leaning towards “not so much.” And while the long-term outlook for the Seahawks is more positive, the loss of Wilson may be too much to overcome against an elite defense. Pittsburgh gets the win and improves to 3-3.
Prediction: Steelers win 27-20 | Spread: Steelers (-4.5)