NFL Pittsburgh Steelers Odds: Offense In-Depth Betting Analysis

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The Pittsburgh Steelers caught fire in the second half of the 2022 campaign, posting a 7-2 record in their last nine games and almost making the postseason. However, that finish was largely sparked by their defense, as the offense only managed 18.1 points per game on the season, 26th in the NFL. That’s 11.1 points behind the top-scoring Kansas City Chiefs, who won the Super Bowl, and 11.0 points behind the NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. Among the 14 teams who made the postseason last year, the median scoring average was 24.6, 6.5 more than what the Steelers could score. Will their offense be better this coming season? Read on to get our perspective as you start to plan your sports betting on 2023 NFL action.

NFL Betting News: In-Depth Analysis – the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers Offense

Obviously, the most important player on offense is the quarterback, and Kenny Pickett established himself as a solid rookie at the position in the second half of the 2022 season. To thrive in 2023, though, he doesn’t have to turn into a gunslinger and heave the ball down the field. The short game – quick slants, crossing routes and passes to running backs out of the backfield – could make the difference. Going into 2023, 12 of their regular-season opponents finished 2022 in the bottom 10 for at least two pass defense statistics. Let’s look at some targets Pickett has available to him in the short passing game.

Tailback Najee Harris is starting his third season as the Steelers’ featured tailback, and he has shown reliability, both on the ground and catching passes. In his first two seasons, he has 115 receptions for 696 yards and six scores. He averages about six yards per reception, and about a third of his touchdowns have come on catches.

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Tight end Pat Freiermuth is also entering his third season in the NFL. He has the size, speed and physicality to dominate possession routes across the middle as well as get separation on out routes. So far, he has only caught 123 passes through two seasons, and only has nine receiving touchdowns. Some of this likely has to do with the difficulty Ben Roethlisberger had finding time in the pocket his last season, and with his accuracy issues. Last year, the Steelers were rebuilding their offense, and Pickett was learning the Steelers’ offense and how to deal with NFL game speed, but this year should be better.

Diontae Johnson has led the team in receiving yards for three seasons in a row, and George Pickens wowed audiences with his highlight-reel catches as a rookie last season. Johnson has a tendency to drop passes, but once he gets the ball, he’s hard to bring down, as his per-catch average shows.

The draft brought tight end Darnell Washington out of Georgia. At 6’7” and 270 pounds, he is a huge target, and he averaged more than 18 yards per reception during his time at Georgia. Interestingly, he only scored three touchdowns in his three seasons as a Bulldog, so I’ll be curious to see if Pittsburgh uses him differently.

Calvin Austin III returns at wide receiver after missing all of his rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury. He has speed, go he is a deep threat, but he could also run inside routes out of the slot. Allen Robinson II is the veteran in the receiving corps, entering his tenth season. He came from the Rams in a trade in April, and he may be on the wane as his average per catch the last two seasons was just over 10 yards, down from 12.8 for his career. He has posted three 1,000-yard seasons in his career, so he can produce in volume. Can he get those numbers back up this year?

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Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Positions