Steelers vs Falcons Preseason Picks and Predictions: Pittsburgh Runs Roughshod Over Atlanta

The final week of the NFL preseason is upon us, and the Steelers and Falcons will kick off the action tonight.

Pittsburgh claimed victory in its first two preseason contests, scoring exactly 27 points in each outing. Head coach Mike Tomlin said his starters will play an undetermined amount of time against Atlanta, who have a win and a tie in its two preseason contests. The Falcons have not said who exactly will start, or how long the first unit will play.

Those decisions will directly impact the way this game shakes out, and we discuss how that affects your betting strategy in our Steelers vs. Falcons preseason NFL picks and predictions for Thursday, August 24.  

Steelers vs Falcons odds

Steelers vs Falcons predictions

The fact that Tomlin said he’s going to keep his starters out “until we have a level of satisfaction on both sides of the ball” is bad news for those betting on Atlanta. Kenny Pickett has looked good so far this preseason, developing an early chemistry with new tight end Pat Freiermuth. 

In the win over Buffalo last week, Pickett attempted just four passes but completed three for 43 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown to Freiermuth. This preseason, he’s completed all but two of his 11 attempts with a pair of scores. 

The entire starting offense has looked quite solid so far, with three touchdowns in their three drives. The longer they’re on the field, the worse things will be for an Atlanta defense that wasn’t overly impressive against Cincinnati’s backup gunslingers last week.

But there is also the question of just how much the Falcons will have Desmond Ridder and first-round pick Bijan Robinson on the field. The belief is that their older starters won’t play, which means they’ll likely have backup linemen in on offense. 

It’s unlikely the Falcons will want to risk Ridder behind a line that might not be able to protect him, especially with Pittsburgh’s first-unit defense getting the start. That should allow Pittsburgh to jump out to an early lead, as they’ve done in their two previous games.

Once Pickett is off the field, it’ll become a battle of two players trying to lock down the job as his backup. Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph know this is their last chance to impress, and both will be trying to play their best game of the preseason. That should lead to the Steelers continuing to chase points, and both are better than who Atlanta will have behind Ridder.

That’s why I’m taking Pittsburgh to cover the 4.5-point spread. Tomlin doesn’t waste preseason games, and his Steelers have won 13 of their last 16 exhibitions. They’re the better team with better depth at quarterback, and they should win easily.

My best bet: Steelers -4.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Steelers vs Falcons spread and Over/Under analysis

Not only have the Steelers been better offensively this preseason, but the Falcons haven’t been that good once you dive deeper into the numbers. They beat Miami 19-3 in the opening game, but one of their touchdowns came from a Pick 6 while the other came from a punt return. 

With Ridder and Robinson likely to be out, it’ll be up to Taylor Heinicke to come up with his first touchdown of the preseason. I’m just not sure how likely that is to happen, with the majority of Atlanta’s weapons sitting out. 

Atlanta is likely to be looking to sort out its running back room in this one. Three backs are fighting to be Robinson’s backup, and it could lead to the Falcons taking the ball out of Heinicke’s hands. But Pittsburgh shut down Buffalo’s offense last week and should do so against Atlanta here.

Those factors also have me leaning toward the Under 38.5 as well. Pittsburgh has lived by the big play this preseason as the Steelers have posted 27 points in each game. They’ve allowed 17 and 15 to the Bucs and Bills, respectively, but those offenses had more firepower than Atlanta.

If the Falcons are planning to rest players and run the ball, it’s going to help with the Under. I also don’t think Pittsburgh is going to keep the starters on the field for long, and many believe Tomlin & Co. will want to focus on working on their run game as well. If that happens, it’s a great omen for the Under.  

Steelers vs Falcons betting trend to know

Pittsburgh has won 13 of their last 16 preseason games. Find more NFL betting trends for Steelers vs. Falcons.

Steelers vs Falcons game info

Steelers vs Falcons latest injuries

Steelers vs Falcons weather

Monitor gametime conditions with our live NFL weather info and learn how weather impacts NFL betting.

Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Pages related to this topic