Here we go with our Steelers vs. Lions predictions for the last game of the 2022 NFL preseason on Sunday, Aug. 28.
The Steelers are 2-0 this preseason, and they are looking for the exhibition sweep. They’ll host the Lions (and the HBO film crew) at not-Heinz Field on Sunday.
Let’s break down who is playing (and not playing) in this preseason spectacle while formulating a Steelers vs. Lions prediction for this Sunday afternoon matchup.
Steelers vs. Lions Predictions
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Steelers vs. Lions Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | +5.5 (-110) | +185 | O 39 (-110) |
| @ Steelers | -5.5 (-110) | -215 | U 39 (-110) |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 5 p.m. ET on Aug. 27.
Game Info
- Date: Sunday, Aug. 28
- Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Acrisure Stadium — Pittsburgh, PA
- TV: CBS
Steelers vs. Lions Trends
Let’s take a look at some relevant betting trends for the Steelers vs. Lions as well as the NFL preseason in general:
- The Steelers are 2-0 this preseason, beating the Seahawks (32-25) and Jaguars (16-15).
- The Lions are 1-1 this preseason, losing vs. Atlanta (27-23) and winning at Indianapolis (27-26).
- Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is 14-4 in his last five preseasons (including this year).
- Lions coach Dan Campbell is 1-4 in the preseason with Detroit so far (2 years).
- Underdogs are 53.7% against the spread in the NFL preseason in the previous ten years.
- As of Saturday afternoon, DraftKings reports that 54% of tickets and 79% of the handle are on Pittsburgh against the spread.
- DraftKings also reports that 62% of betting tickets and 76% of the money are on Over 39 total points.
Steelers QB Battle Continues
The Steelers are still in the midst of a quarterback competition. It seemed to help them outlast the Seahawks in the first preseason game and having three viable QBs take the field certainly helps rationalize a bet on the Steelers.
In addition, it appears that most of the Pittsburgh starters will play on Sunday. That includes both sides of the ball. See the tweet below:
On his @NotJustFootball podcast, Cam Heyward says the Steelers will be playing most of their starters "at least half the game" in Sunday's preseason finale against the Detroit.
Heyward says he expects to play. #Steelers
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 24, 2022
This serves as somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the Steelers. At least the reports are leaning that way. The Lions will also play their starters for an extended period of time (more on that in a bit), but the line jumped from Steelers -3 to -5.5 based on the Pittsburgh news.
Pittsburgh already has the benefit of a quarterback battle and home-field advantage for this preseason game. Now they have the starters playing for what seems like most (if not all) of the first half.
In case you were curious, the Steelers will roll out QBs Mitchell Trubsiky, Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph in that order. This is the same as the first two preseason games, and reports suggest the Week 1 starting job is still up for grabs.
Lions Without Goff
The Lions will play their starters for most — if not all — of the first half at Pittsburgh on Sunday. However, there’s one important caveat:
Lions' Dan Campbell says the starters will play in Game 3 of the preseason this weekend in Pittsburgh. Adds that Jared Goff will not play, and no, the QB won't be able to change his mind.
— Benjamin Raven (@BenjaminSRaven) August 22, 2022
Jared Goff will not play in this game. Even though Goff isn’t a tremendous NFL talent, that reduces the Lions’ QB depth chart to Tim Boyle and David Blough. Both have been pretty mediocre in two preseason games to this point.
On the other hand, the Lions picked up a road victory last week, and they were a dropped interception away from winning at Atlanta in preseason Week 1. Goff did not play in Detroit’s win at the Colts last Saturday, so it’s hard to say if his absence will necessarily factor into the outcome of this game.
Steelers vs. Lions Predictions
In normal circumstances, laying 5.5 points is a tall task for the preseason. However, the Steelers have all the right ingredients to cover that number.
Pittsburgh will play three motivated quarterbacks — all of which have a chance to secure the starting job — throughout the entire game. Detroit will showcase QB2 and QB3 while resting Goff. It also doesn’t hurt that the Steelers are playing at home, and hosts in NFL Preseason Week 3 tend to have the upper hand. The home team is still trying to impress the fan base while the visitors would rather get the game over with and head home.
That’s probably the case in this matchup, and all the factors point to the Steelers covering the spread.
Prediction: Steelers -5.5 | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
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