Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Predictions, Odds, Picks

Oct. 17, 2021
Michael Crosson
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

The sixth Sunday of regular-season NFL action will conclude with a prime-time interconference showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers. Coverage begins at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Score Prediction

Steelers 24, Seahawks 13

Best Bets

Steelers -5

Najee Harris (PIT/RB) - Anytime TD -127

Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Predictions

After winning the NFC West with a 12-4 record last year, Seattle sputtered out to an incredibly underwhelming start to the new season, considering the Seahawks dropped a pair of head-scratchers against Tennessee and Minnesota – with their offense generating just 25.8 PPG across Weeks 1 through 4.

The situation quickly worsened for the Seahawks in their latest matchup though, as Russell Wilsonsuffered a devastating finger injury that could sideline Seattle’s quarterback for several weeks – propelling former Jets’ QB Geno Smith into the starting role for the foreseeable future.

On the other hand, Pittsburgh also sits at 2-3 on the year – but those two wins are certainly no tribute to the Steelers’ offensive success, considering Ben Roethlisberger and company currently rank 27th in both scoring and total yardage (18.8 PPG, 319.6 YPG).

The Steelers have maintained their legitimate defensive presence within the AFC though, consideringMike Tomlin’s defense currently ranks 10th in scoring and 16th in total yardage – which is quite an accomplishment given how rough Pittsburgh’s offense has looked.

I’ll lay the points with Pittsburgh here, as the Steelers yielded impressive defensive numbers across their brutal five-game gauntlet against the Bills, Raiders, Bengals, Packers, and Broncos to open the season– and I doubt the Seahawks will have anything up their sleeve offensively for them on Sunday night.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Odds

More Odds | Futures Odds


The Steelers head into Sunday’s contest as five-point favorites over the visiting Seahawks, which marks the third straight game Seattle has been listed as an underdog.



The total for Sunday night’s event is stationed in the low-40’s at most shops – comfortably marking the lowest bar set for a Seahawks’ game so far this year.



Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Resources

  • Matchup: NFC West vs. AFC North
  • Date: Sunday, October 17, 2021
  • Venue: Heinz Field
  • Location: Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania
  • TV-Time: NBC - 8:20 p.m. ET

Bet in Pennsylvania
Bet in Michigan
Bet in Colorado
Bet in Nevada
Bet in Wyoming
Bet in Canada
Other Betting States

Seattle Seahawks Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 2-3
  • ATS: 2-3
  • O/U: 1-4
  • ATS - Home: 0-2
  • ATS - Away: 2-1

Things weren’t exactly looking up for Seattle as Week 5 approached, considering the Seahawks scraped by with a pair of wins over the Colts and Niners – and yielded disappointing losses to the Titans and Vikings across the first four weeks of the season.

If the last few weeks were indicative of what Pete Carroll’s squad has in store, as a unit, for the rest of the season though, the Seahawks might be in trouble, considering Seattle’s defense already ranks 21st in scoring and dead last in total yardage (25.2 PPG, 450.8 YPG) – which should presumably equal a recipe for disaster combined with an offense led by a turnover-prone backup QB.

Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 2-3
  • ATS: 2-3
  • O/U: 1-4
  • ATS - Home: 1-2
  • ATS - Away: 1-1

The Steelers aren’t exactly the league’s cream of the crop anymore, but they’re still an excellent defensive squad, and sometimes Big Ben can provide just enough juice to send Pittsburgh over the top in certain matchups – and Sunday night certainly appears to be a glaring opportunity.

Even if Wilson were healthy enough to participate in this Sunday’s event, the Steelers’ defense typically gives them a puncher’s chance to win every game – as we saw across Pittsburgh’s impressive trio of defensive efforts against the Bills, Packers, and Broncos (20.7 PPG).

Unfortunately, Wilson’s absence should make that decision much easier for bettors, as it would likely require an outstanding defensive performance for Seattle to pull off the upset on Sunday night – so if you aren’t quite sold on Pittsburgh, the under also seems like a solid play.


The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost five straight games when playing as the favorites. (AP)

Inside the Stats - Seattle Seahawks

  • Record: 2-3
  • Division Standing: 3rd - NFC West
  • Points Scored: 120
  • Points Allowed: 126
  • PS/G: 24 (13th)
  • PA/G: 25.2 (21st)

Inside the Stats - Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Record: 2-3
  • Division Standing: 4th - AFC North
  • Points Scored: 94
  • Points Allowed: 112
  • PS/G: 18.8 (27th)
  • PA/G: 22.4 (10th)

Key Players to Watch

  • SEA: Tyler Lockett - WR (25 catches, 390 yards, 3 TD)
  • SEA: D.K. Metcalf - WR (25 catches, 383 yards, 5 TD)
  • PIT: Ben Roethlisberger - QB (124/195, 1,286 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT)
  • PIT: Diontae Johnson - WR (25 catches, 305 yards, 3 TD)

Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Conclusion

After losing their starting quarterback to an injury last week, the Seahawks will travel to Pittsburgh for their sixth matchup of the year as five-point underdogs against the Steelers at Heinz Field – marking the third straight game Seattle has been listed as an underdog.

Personally, I like Pittsburgh at home here, as the Steelers’ rushing attack was excellent against an excellent Broncos’ defensive front last week – which leads me to believe they’ll handle business somewhat easily against a banged up Seahawks’ squad, which is why I’m also backing Steelers’ RB Najee Harris to score a touchdown in Sunday night’s event.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Trends

  • Pittsburgh has gone UNDER the point total in four of its last five games.
  • Pittsburgh has failed to cover the spread in five of its last seven home games.
  • Pittsburgh has won 12 of its last 17 home games.
  • Seattle has gone UNDER the point total in four of its last five games.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

  • Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
  • Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
  • Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.