Online Betting Overview
The Pittsburgh Steelers do not like losing, especially when they are coming off a year where they lost in the Super Bowl. Forget that it is preseason. The Steelers defense was embarrassed by Rex Grossman and the under-achieving Washington Redskins offense. While the Pittsburgh starters did not stay in the game for very long, the Steelers’ pride still works its way down to the second and third string, whether the second and third string players like it or not. The Steelers spent most of their first preseason game looking over talent. But in the preseason battle of Pennsylvania, there may be a little more at stake here.
After that first preseason performance, the NFL betting lines on the Eagles getting to the Super Bowl improved. The Eagles defensive secondary is almost completely brand new, and it will take a couple of games to get the players used to each other. This game would be the perfect one to give the secondary some extended time together. The Eagles’ offense will spend more time looking at second-string players such as quarterback Vince Young. But that is not a weak spot for the Eagles. Young always looks good in the preseason but then falls apart in the regular season. Michael Vick may get some more playing time in this game, but with the Steelers still smarting from last week’s loss, Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid may not keep Vick out there very long.
Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL fans in Pittsburgh know not to get too worried about preseason. But getting touched up by Washington quarterback Rex Grossman for 207 yards when Grossman had limited play in a preseason game is a definite concern for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have always prided themselves on depth in their defense, and that depth was non-existent in the Washington game. Head coach Mike Tomlin will be giving his second and third strings a long look in this game, but he will also give the first string defense a chance to set the tone in the first quarter. The Steelers are still trying to figure out their passing game, so look for a constant carousel of wide receivers to come in and out of this game all night long.
Philadelphia Eagles
The new and improved Eagles would make this one of the best regular season games of the year. But in the preseason, Andy Reid is always protective of his starters. The first quarter of this game will be exciting with the first-string Eagles’ offense against the first-string Steelers’ defense. But when the first teams come out, the Eagles definitely have the upper hand.
The Bottom Line
NFL picks in the preseason can sometimes be difficult because the first stringers are not in there for very long. In this game, depth will decide the outcome and the Eagles have a lot of depth while the Steelers do not. Once the excitement of the first quarter is over, Pittsburgh fans will want to stay tuned and see what Mike Tomlin does about his team’s need for quality second and third string players.
BSNblog Pick: Philadelphia Eagles
