The Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) and New England Patriots (0-1) will clash in Week 2 of the NFL season this afternoon. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The game will broadcast live on CBS.
The Patriots are 4.5-point favorites over the Steelers on the spread (Patriots -4.5), with the over/under set at 41.5 points. New England is listed as a -250 moneyline favorite to win outright, while Pittsburgh is a +205 underdog to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Steelers vs Patriots predictions for NFL Week 2.
Steelers vs Patriots Prediction
- Steelers vs Patriots pick: Patriots -5 (-110)
My Steelers vs Patriots best bet is on New England to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at FanDuel. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
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Steelers vs Patriots Odds
| Steelers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -102 | 41.5 -110o / -110u | +205 |
| Patriots Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -120 | 41.5 -110o / -110u | -250 |
Steelers vs Patriots NFL Week 2 Preview
Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Preview
While the Patriots offense delivering a better performance takes some projection, the inefficiencies of the Steelers offense have plenty of numbers to use as evidence they are in for a long day at the office.
Pittsburgh rushed for a league-low 2.7 yards per carry and its 31% offensive success rate on all offensive plays was only better than one other NFL team in Week 1.
In addition to a non-existent rushing attack, Aaron Rodgers averaged just 5.5 yards per attempt. The Steelers' -0.4 EPA/pass ranked 27th in the NFL in Week 1.
It is quite clear head coach Mike McCarthy wants to push the ball down field more this season than did Rodgers a year ago, but Rodgers failed to complete a pass traveling 20+ yards past the line of scrimmage on his six attempts.
Rodgers' connection with DK Metcalf was lacking as well — the two connected on just four of his 10 targets. Metcalf lined up on the outside of the formation at an 86% rate, which means he will be an easy find to be shadowed by star cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
The Pittsburgh defense was not challenged as it was fortunate to play against Cooper Rush and the Falcons. However, there were some concerning advanced defensive metrics that are worth noting.
The Steelers generated pressure on just 30% of Rush’s dropbacks, which ranked 22nd. Pittsburgh opted to use a light box on 48% of defensive snaps and ranked 31st a week ago in allowing yards after contact on a per-attempt basis when defending the run.
I wasn’t convinced the Steelers boasted a top-10 defense heading into the season, and despite them allowing just 13 points to the Falcons, the same questions still remain.
The Steelers' defensive line is aging and they do not have reliable depth pieces behind Cam Heyward. Even if Joey Porter Jr. returns to the lineup, it will not affect my handicap of this game given the amount of time Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had to prepare knowing he would not have the services of A.J. Brown.
New England Patriots Betting Preview
For the second consecutive season, the Patriots played poorly in Week 1 and will be looking to bounce back.
With ample time to prepare for their home game against the Steelers and historical evidence suggesting the Patriots are a good bet to rebound, my confidence level is quite high that they can cover this modest number.
In the 2025 regular season, New England only had three losses but it followed those games up by going 3-0 against the number. On two of those occasions, the Patriots were road underdogs and won outright, and in the third they were victorious 42-13 as a 5.5-point favorite.
Drake Maye played very efficiently in those outings, completing 76.2% of his passes with a 124.8 passer rating in total.
Steelers vs Patriots Prediction, Betting Analysis
The return of TreVeyon Henderson should give the Patriots another explosive element on offense as they look to right the ship without A.J. Brown.
The Steelers defense is not on the same level as the Seahawks defense and they do not have the likes of Mike MacDonald calling plays.
Bettors undoubtedly have a bad taste in their mouths when it comes to Drake Maye after seeing him struggle against some of the league’s top pass rushes dating back to last year’s AFC Championship Game.
This line is starting to become more expensive at the -4.5 range, which makes playing anything under the key number of 6 the better option — you should be able to find -5 at -110 or better. That is the position I will be taking as I expect New England to make a statement on Sunday.
Pick: Patriots -5 (-110)
Spread
I'm backing the Patriots to cover the spread at home. As I noted above, I prefer to play anything under -6 at -110 odds over a more expensive line like -4.5.
Moneyline
I prefer to play the Patriots to cover the spread than their moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm also staying away from game totals.
