Steelers vs. Eagles Week 8 matchup preview and current betting lines
The Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) look to remain perfect coming out of the bye as they take on their in-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5). This could be the first meeting between these teams in a season where the Eagles made the playoffs and the Steelers had a losing record since 1988.
The Eagles already look like one of the most balanced teams in the NFL with the No. 4 scoring offense and No. 4 scoring defense. If they have a major flaw, the Steelers are not at all set up to exploit it this weekend.
Philadelphia is also striving to get better after trading for pass rusher Robert Quinn from the Bears. Quinn has 102 sacks but only had 1.0 in seven games for the Bears. However, adding him to this Philadelphia defense should help him and he will help the edge pressure from Haason Reddick and Brandon Graham.
As for the Steelers, they need to start scoring some points behind Kenny Pickett, who is only leading them to about 12 points per every four quarters he plays. That even includes a 4-yard touchdown drive against the Jets and a 5-yard field goal drive against Tampa Bay.
Many of Pickett’s seven interceptions have not been his fault, but he had two awful ones in the fourth quarter in a Miami game that was there for the taking. The Steelers overachieved the last two weeks, but they are in danger of getting blown out in this one if Pickett does not protect the ball better.
The NFL Week 8 odds have the Eagles as a 10-point home favorite with a total of 43.5 points in this matchup. It is the fourth week in a row the Steelers have been an underdog by at least a touchdown.
Players to watch in the Steelers vs. Eagles game
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pat Freiermuth: The Eagles have some impressive corners, so throwing outside the numbers to George Pickens and Diontae Johnson may not be great this week. The Steelers need to unleash tight end Pat Freiermuth down the seam. It seems like they forget about him every week until the fourth quarter, then he quickly racks up 40 or 50 yards. He needs to shine in this one.
Philadelphia Eagles
Darius Slay: One of those great corners for the Eagles is Darius “Big Play” Slay, who already has three interceptions this season and will be looking for more. Not only does Slay get the picks, but his coverage has been fantastic this year. Slay has allowed just 99 yards on 15-of-35 passing when quarterbacks throw his way. That is just 2.8 yards per target. If Pickett wants to test him, it’s not going to end well for the rookie.
Our Best NFL Bets for the Steelers vs. Eagles game
We have two NFL Week 8 predictions for this in-state matchup of two of the league’s oldest franchises.
Steelers vs. Eagles Point Spread Pick: Eagles -10 (-110)
The Steelers vs. Eagles spread opened with the Eagles as a 9.5-point home favorite before moving up to 11 at some places. Since we like the Eagles’ side for this one, the best price is Eagles -10 at -110 odds at PointsBet.
Pittsburgh has trailed by at least 28 points in five of its last 15 games, and it always happened on the road to a top team (think Chiefs last year or Bills this year). The Eagles look like a top team with an MVP candidate at quarterback and a top defense. The Eagles are an unfamiliar opponent to the Steelers, and they could easily trick this defense (without T.J. Watt) with motion and where the ball is going as Jalen Hurts does so much with his legs for the Eagles. A.J. Brown is also a dominant receiver who can give this banged up secondary fits.
The game is a mismatch as we know the Steelers are limited in how many points they can score because of their inept offensive coordinator, their poor running game, mediocre pass protection, Pickett’s rookie mistakes, and the drops by the receivers. If they score 16 points, it’s a great day in this matchup.
But can the Eagles score 27 or more? Absolutely. As long as the Eagles don’t come out rusty and take the Steelers seriously after the bye, they should win this game by double digits for your NFL bet of the week.
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bet on nfl with Pointsbet >First Half Total: Over 22.5 Points (-110)
We love the first half over on this one as some of Pickett’s best work this season has been on scripted opening drives. He’ll also want to atone early for last week’s poor finish and lead a touchdown drive in the first half. The Steelers have a great long-distance kicker in Chris Boswell, so it is not unrealistic for them to score 7-to-10 points in the first half.
But the real reason to love this number is that the Eagles dominate the first half and particularly the second quarter unlike anyone. The Eagles have scored a record 112 points in the second quarter this year, 20 more than any other team had in the first six games of a season. The Eagles are also plus-85 in scoring differential in second quarters.
The Eagles scored 24 points in the second quarter against both Detroit and Washington already this season. They scored 24 by halftime against Minnesota and 20 points in the second quarter against Dallas.
The Steelers overachieved last week when the defense held Miami scoreless in the second half. Even if that happened again this week as the Eagles have been nothing special in the second half, it won’t happen until the Eagles already run up a good score before halftime.
We see the Steelers with at least a touchdown on the board early, and the Eagles should get at least 17 in the first half again. That adds up to a minimum of 24 points by halftime, so yes, hammer the over here.
bet on NFL with betmgmFrequently asked questions about the Steelers vs. Eagles game in week 8
The game is being played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It is early in his career, but Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni is already an impressive 5-0-1 ATS as a home favorite.
You can find plenty of info with our player prop picks and daily NFL predictions.