Steelers vs Eagles Week 8 Picks and Predictions: Philly Flies Out of the Bye

The Philadelphia Eagles come fresh out of their Week 7 bye as still the only undefeated team in the NFL.

Across from them on Sunday will be rookie first-rounder Kenny Pickett, who has certainly looked the part of a rookie quarterback. However, on his side is arguably the best coach in the entire league as an underdog: Mike Tomlin.

Can Tomlin squeeze out every last bit out of his players and keep this Week 8 matchup close or will Jalen Hurts and the Eagles continue on their unbeaten path?

Find out with our NFL picks and predictions for the Steelers vs. Eagles. 

Steelers vs Eagles best odds

Steelers vs Eagles picks and predictions

A little under halfway through the season, most would agree that the Eagles are the most well-rounded team in terms of range and depth of talent. All but five of their 22 total starters have a PFF grade above 65, which includes a whopping 10 out of 11 that meet that criteria on offense alone.

Center Jason Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson headline the Eagles' offensive line, providing Jalen Hurts ample time to get the most out of his stud wide receiver duo of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. Dallas Goedert and Miles Sanders round out the offensive skill players and have always had more talent than their offensive involvement would suggest.

As good as the offense has been, the defense has also held up their end of the bargain. The secondary, in particular, has earned its flowers, between Darius Slay (PFF grade: 76.6), James Bradberry (76.1), and even nickelback Avonte Maddox (70.6).

Kenny Pickett is barely halfway through his rookie season and can count his total NFL starts on one hand. That's not to say Pickett can't eventually be a serviceable starter or even one that can take apart even a secondary as elite as the Eagles', but to suggest he can do that at this point in his career and development is a big of a stretch.

That's not to suggest that he doesn't have the weapons to do that, because he most certainly does. Diontae Johnson is one of the league's better possession receivers. Chase Claypool has certainly shown extremely bright flashes in his three years thus far. Rookie George Pickens is seemingly on the cusp of becoming one of the league's most talented and awe-inspiring wide receivers. And Pat Freiermuth has been the most productive tight end of his class, which includes the anointed generational Kyle Pitts.

Second-year running back Najee Harris has arguably been the most disappointing of the Steelers' skill players, but much of that has been out of his control. The Alabama product has had the displeasure of running behind one of the league's worst offensive lines and just recently had a steel plate removed that was a result of a foot injury sustained during camp.

Nevertheless, returning to Pittsburgh's offensive line woes. It’s part of a large mismatch in this game that will likely turn this game ugly. Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick, and company are in for a one-sided affair that should hand over a potential snowball to Hurts and the offense.

My best bet: Eagles -10.5 (-110 at PointsBet)

Steelers vs Eagles spread analysis

On the other side of the matchup, the Steelers have their fair share of talent on the defensive front even without star TJ Watt. Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith have had their fair share of solid play, but the advantage still largely relies on the more well-rounded and cohesive Eagles' offensive line.

While Mike Tomlin is a hell of a coach and always gets the most out of his players, especially as an underdog, the Steelers in their current form are not a competitive group. They rank dead last in net points per drive at a whopping -0.70. Conversely, the Eagles rank second-best in that department at 0.90.

To put it quite simply, there isn't any part of this entire matchup where the Steelers have a tangible advantage. In that sense, the spread speaks volumes and it arguably isn't high enough.

Steelers vs Eagles Over/Under analysis

Although the expectation is a Steelers beatdown at the hand of the Eagles, the game likely will still go under the total of 43. Even if the Eagles were to jump out to an appreciable lead early and begin to lean on the run, the Steelers still possess the ninth-best rush defense DVOA and can at least slow down one part of that offense.

Philadelphia's unit ranks 22nd in that regard and that may lead Tomlin to a run-heavy approach which could eat up the clock and make the 43 total unattainable.

Through the air, the Eagles certainly pose a credible threat for a few explosive plays, especially with the elite open-field talent of AJ Brown. But the Steelers are below average at best in that regard and will only put together scoring drives that are possession-heavy, thus shortening the game.

Steelers vs Eagles betting trend to know

Pittsburgh is 5-2 to the Under this season. Find more NFL betting trends for Steelers vs. Eagles.

Steelers vs Eagles game info

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