NFL Week 6 Best Bets: Seahawks vs. Steelers Sunday Night Football Picks

The Pittsburgh Steelers welcome the Seattle Seahawks to Heinz Field on Sunday Night Football marking Week 6 of the NFL. As things currently stand, bookmakers corner this game with the hosts on the NFL odds board.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are tipped anywhere between -4.5 and -5 on the point spread after opening as the -3.5 home chalk late Sunday The game total opened at 43 points but promptly whittled down to 42.5 points as bettors pounded the under.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, October 17, 2021 - 08:20 PM EDT at Heinz Field

The Steelers and Seahawks come into this game with a 2-3 SU and ATS record after five weeks, but the Steelers are deemed to be at a considerable advantage due to Seattle’s heavy injury blow. Russell Wilson suffered a hand injury in Seattle’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, and he’s scheduled to be out for an extended period of time.

With Seattle relying on backup Geno Smith, who is set to make his first start since 2017, the public isn’t buying what the Seahawks are selling in this pivotal primetime showdown. Are you?

Steelers Renaissance?

The Steelers are coming off a season-saving victory over the Denver Broncos that sees Mike Tomlin’s side improve to 2-3 SU. Pittsburgh is still in the bottom of the AFC North standings, trailing behind the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns (both 3-2) and the top-of-the-table Baltimore Ravens (4-1).

It’s still early days and a lot can change in the AFC North, but the Steelers have to build on the momentum of Week 5’s victory if they aim to keep their playoff hopes alive.

https://youtu.be/91p6dd2Ccl8

The Steelers upset the Denver Broncos 27-19 at Heinz Field Sunday, coming through for their backers with NFL picks against the spread as the nominal home underdogs. Pittsburgh closed on +1.5 in point spread betting.

The Steelers got off to a fast start and jumped out to a commanding lead, but things got a little too close for comfort in a dramatic fourth quarter.

Somehow Teddy Bridgewater and the Broncos were able to put up a couple of touchdowns in the final stanza to make a fist of it. They got to within five points at one point. However, the Steelers pulled ahead with a field goal, and then managed to stave off the Bronco’s last-gasp advance to clinch the 27-19 win after intercepting Bridgewater’s pass.

https://twitter.com/steelers/status/1447292329400864770?s=20

Seahawks Season Doomed?

The Seahawks are coming off a potentially season-sinking defeat to division rival the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. After the loss, the Seahawks slipped to a 2-3-0 record and into third place in the NFC West standings.

The season-ending aspect for Pete Carroll’s side comes on the heels of the injury to Russell Wilson. The veteran quarterback broke a finger on his throwing hand and needed surgery immediately. Early prognosis projects Wilson return to action (at the earliest) in late November as he will need anywhere from four to eight weeks to recover.

Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks jogs off the field while tending to his finger injury. Steph Chambers/Getty Images/AFP.

In a competitive NFC West, spearheaded by the undefeated Arizona Cardinals (5-0) and the on-form Los Angeles Rams (4-1), playing without your starting quarterback is tantamount to disaster. Never mind relying on backup Geno Smith to hold the fort in the interim, which is akin to playing Russian Roulette.

Geno Smith is practically one of the league’s forgotten quarterbacks. He had unmemorable stints as a starter with the New York Jets and the New York Giants which amount to a combined 12-19 record. He has thrown 30 touchdowns and 37 interceptions in his career – a TD to INT ratio that is precisely why he was relegated to backup obscurity.

https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1446306306273341442?s=20

Smith will be making his first start since 2017, and while everybody loves tales of heart-warming comebacks and second chances – Teddy Bridgewater is a perfect example of such a renaissance – it’s a longshot bet in Smith’s case.

Of course, Pete Carroll seems to think otherwise. He raved about Smith’s performance in relief of Wilson on Thursday, claiming he had the utmost faith in the now 30-year-old quarterback. Smith engineered a 98-yard touchdown drive and finished with 10 of 17 passing attempts for 131 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Perhaps, Carroll knows better than the rest of us.

Predictions and Picks

Whatever happens, this is going to be an interesting game. The Steelers are quite rightly the favorites across sports betting markets, but given the way they’ve played this season, they’re not a sure bet at all.

On the flip side, the Seahawks have struggled too, even with their hardy talisman Wilson at the helm. If Wilson could only deliver two wins in five games, it raises a legitimate question about what Smith can do realistically?

The problem with the Seahawks is their non-existent defense. Seattle’s D-unit ranks amongst the worst in the league. It’s more porous than Swiss cheese. So, one has to consider the fact that even if Smith’s second chance in the NFL goes well enough or better than most imagined it would, the defense might undo all his good work.

Hence, we come back full circle to the Steelers. They’re the home favorites and the chosen NFL pick to win and cover as the -4.5 home chalk. However, don’t go betting the farm on it.

NFL Pick: Steelers -4.5 (-112)

*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.