Even after an ugly loss to the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots are still the odds on favorites to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon.
Per Tipico Sportsbook, the Patriots are currently listed as 1.5-point favorites heading into Acrisure Stadium against a Steelers team that just made the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals cough up five turnovers in a 23-20 victory. Meanwhile, the Patriots gave up three takeaways on the road against the Dolphins in a 20-7 loss.
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is listed on the injury report with back spasms, but as of right now, he’s still preparing like he’s going to play. The backup for the Patriots would be Brian Hoyer, who has a lot of experience and familiarity with the offense.
The Steelers, on the other hand, are dealing with a significant injury for reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, who is out for this game. Running back Najee Harris is also a bit banged up as well.
Sunday’s game will ultimately come down between the two defenses and which unit can force the opposing offense to make that one critical mistake.
If the Patriots defense can keep the Steelers’ struggling offense in check, Jones and company should be able to move the ball enough to give kicker Nick Folk a chance to win the game with his leg.
