The Pittsburgh Steelers are ready to begin their first NFL season without long-time captain and #1 quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in over 15 years. The most intriguing question surrounding the team all Summer was Ben’s replacement, and Coach Tomlin has now confirmed that new acquisition Mitch Trubisky will start the Steelers’ Week #1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, September 11th at 1PM ET. The first-round pick from this year’s draft, Kenny Pickett, will be the back-up in the game.
The Steelers are in an interesting position to start the season. Having new, more mobile quarterbacks gives the offense some new options compared to the last few years of Roethlisberger’s reign, but the offensive line has not improved significantly. The defense, however, is still looking quite strong and could potentially swing some games Pittsburgh’s way.
The Bengals were an unexpected success story last year, just falling short of the Championship title in the Super Bowl LVI. This year, the Bengals could be considered contenders, but QB Joe Burrow missed out on the training camp after his appendix burst and in general, the offense hasn’t spent much time together. Still, with others in the AFC North struggling with their own lineups and other uncertainties, the Bengals are on track to make it into the playoffs.
The first game of the season between the two AFC North teams is an indicator of what we should keep an eye on during the season, but nothing is decided now. The Bengals are favored going into the game, but the Steelers have the potential to exceed expectations. Below, you can find the current Bengals and Steelers odds for the game on Sunday from FOX Bet PA.
Point Spread
Steelers +6.5 -110
Bengals -6.5 -110
Moneyline
Steelers +225
Bengals -286
Over/Under
Over 44.5 -105
Under 44.5 -118
