The Pittsburgh Steelers will face off against the Atlanta Falcons at 1:00 ET on Sunday, September 8th. This matchup is being played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The Falcons are favored on the money line at -154 as they host the Steelers at 1:00 ET on Sunday, September 8th at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This week one non-conference matchup is being televised by FOX, with the Falcons favored by -3 on the point spread. The over/under line is currently at 42 points.

• Date: Sunday, September 8th
• Time: 1:00 ET
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
• TV: FOX

Steelers vs Falcons

The Steelers’ 10-7 record last season was good enough for 7th in the AFC and they made the playoffs as the 7th seed. They were 3rd in the AFC North with a 5-1 record within their division. Pittsburgh’s playoff run was short-lived, as they lost to the Bills in the Wild Card round by a score of 31-17. Against the spread, Pittsburgh was 10-8, and they were 8-6 vs. the spread against above .500 teams.

Their over/under record for the season was 7-11, with their games averaging a combined 37.6 points per game. When favored, the Steelers were 4-3 ATS and 6-5 ATS as the underdog. Their ATS record was the same on the road and at home, going 5-4 at each location. The Steelers split their four games against below .500 teams with a 2-2 record.

The Steelers, who finished 10-7 last season, placed 7th in the AFC and made the playoffs as the 3rd place team in the AFC North. They excelled within their division, going 5-1 against AFC North rivals. Pittsburgh’s playoff run was cut short in the Wild Card round with a 31-17 loss to the Bills. The Steelers were 8-6 against teams with winning records and 2-2 against teams with losing records.

Their over/under record for the season was 7-11, with their games averaging a combined 37.6 points per game. Against the spread, the Steelers were 10-8, with a 5-4 record both at home and on the road.

Steelers Injury Report

• David Perales – Knee (Out)
• Cameron Sutton – Suspension (Out)
• Cole Holcomb – Undisclosed (Out)
• Nate Herbig – Shoulder (Out)
• Jeremiah Moon – Undisclosed (Out)
• Dylan Cook – Undisclosed (Out)
• Ryan Watts – Stinger (Out)
• Jaylen Warren – Hamstring (Probable)
• Troy Fautanu – Knee (Questionable)
• Payton Wilson – Head (Questionable)
• Roman Wilson – Ankle (Questionable)

Falcons Injury Report

• Kaden Elliss – Groin (Questionable)
• Nate Landman – Quadriceps (Questionable)
• Harrison Hand – Undisclosed (Out)
• Bralen Trice – Undisclosed (Out)
• DeMarcco Hellams – Ankle (Out)
• Rondale Moore – Knee (Out)
• Milo Eifler – Undisclosed (Out)

Steelers Offense Breakdown

On the road, the Steelers averaged 17.3 points per game, while at home, they averaged 18.3 points per game. Overall, their season average of 17.8 points per game ranked 28th in the NFL. They were one of the more run-heavy offenses in the league, ranking 9th in rushing attempts per game with 28.3 and 11th in rushing yards per game with 117.6.

However, their passing game struggled, ranking 26th in passing attempts and 25th in passing yards, averaging just 187.8 yards per game through the air. In terms of overall yardage, the Steelers were 25th in the league, averaging 305.4 yards per game. Their inability to sustain drives was evident in their 20th-ranked 3rd down conversion rate.

Russell Wilson threw for 3,070 yards last season, ranking 19th in the league. He played in 15 games for the Broncos, and heading into this season, he will be playing in his 13th season in the league. Wilson was traded to the Steelers in the offseason.

Wilson finished with a passer rating of 98 last year, throwing 26 touchdowns (8th) compared to 8 interceptions. He completed 66.4% of his passes and averaged 29 passing attempts per game, which was 17th in the league. He also averaged 204 yards per game.

Falcons Offense Breakdown

On the road, the Steelers averaged 17.3 points per game, while at home, they averaged 18.3 points per game. For the season, they were 28th in the NFL in scoring, averaging just 17.8 points per game. Pittsburgh’s offense struggled to move the ball, ranking 25th in yards per game (305.4) and 25th in passing yards per game (187.8), with 30.3 passing attempts per game.

Despite finishing 11th in rushing yards per game (117.6), the Steelers were only 16th in rushing yards per attempt. They also had the 5th highest percentage of first downs coming from rushing plays, at 70.49%.

Kirk Cousins played in eight games last season for the Vikings, completing 216 of 311 passes for 2,331 yards. He heads into the season as the Falcons’ quarterback, with this being his 13th season in the league. Cousins finished last year with a 69.5% completion percentage and threw 18 touchdowns compared to five interceptions.

His yards per attempt was 7.5, and he averaged 10.8 yards per completion. Cousins will face the Steelers in his first game of the season.

Steelers Team Defense

Even though the Steelers’ defense was 21st in yards allowed, they were the 6th best unit in the league last season. They were particularly tough against the run, giving up the 3rd fewest rushing touchdowns and ranking 8th in rushing yards allowed. Pittsburgh’s defense allowed just 19.7 points per game, placing them 8th in the league, and they also forced 27 turnovers, which was the 5th best figure in the NFL.

Opposing quarterbacks had a tough time against the Steelers, as they finished 8th in sacks and 10th in quarterback hits. Additionally, the Steelers had the 2nd best turnover differential in the league last season.

Falcons Team Defense

The Steelers’ defense was one of the best at taking the ball away last season, ranking 5th in the league with 27 takeaways. They also excelled in turnover differential, ranking 2nd in the NFL. Pittsburgh’s defense allowed just 19.7 points per game, placing them 8th in the league, and they were tough at home, giving up 19.2 points per game.

Despite finishing 21st in yards allowed, the Steelers were 6th in defensive power rankings, and their secondary was effective, allowing the 7th fewest passing touchdowns. Against the run, they were tough to score on, giving up the 3rd fewest rushing touchdowns.

Steelers vs Falcons Trends

• The Steelers are 2-1 ATS in their three last road games and 2-1 straight-up.
• Across their ten previous home games, Atlanta has an ATS mark of 2-8. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-8 while averaging 13 points per game.
• Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Steelers have a straight up record of 6-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.
• As the betting favorite, the Falcons have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. Atlanta posted a straight up mark of 2-3 in these matchups.

Steelers vs Falcons Prediction

Our pick vs. the spread is to take the Steelers to cover as road underdogs in this week one matchup between the Steelers and Falcons. Right now, the point spread lines have the Steelers at +3, and we have them winning 21-14.

For the over/under, with the line sitting at 42 points, we have a prediction of 35 combined points, making the under a good play for this week one matchup.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.