Steelers vs. Colts: Betting preview, odds, and prediction

Even the most optimistic Pittsburgh Steelers fans could not have expected a better start to the 2024 campaign, especially with starting quarterback Russell Wilson sidelined.

Wilson suffered a calf injury during training camp and re-aggravated it in the preseason; however, Justin Fields has been fantastic in his place, leading the Steelers to a 3-0 record.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis has not had the start it hoped for, dropping its first two games before finally securing a home win against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.

Anthony Richardson has struggled with accuracy and decision-making so far this season, which was to be expected considering he missed most of his rookie year with a shoulder injury.

Can he lead the Colts get back to .500, or will the Steelers keep the hype train rolling?

Find our Steelers vs. Colts betting preview, predictions, list of Pennsylvania sports betting sites, and their respective odds for the game, below!

Who to start: Fields or Wilson?

Wilson officially enters the weekend with a questionable status ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. After missing the first three games with a calf injury, Wilson has an outside shot at playing on Sunday.

But can he play? And even if he can play, should the Steelers deploy him if he is less than 100%, especially after winning three straight games with Fields under center?

Rolling Wilson out at less than 100% is too dangerous this early in the year; if he re-aggravates the injury, he could wind up missing a massive portion of the season.

And, at that point, it would not even make sense to bring him back at all unless Fields is playing horrendously, which has simply not been the case thus far.

In fact, Fields has completed 73.3% of his passes for 518 passing yards and two touchdowns along with 90 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown.

Fields has not thrown as much as some other quarterbacks in pass-heavy offenses; however, he has been hyper-efficient with his relatively limited volume; he is the fourth-highest-graded passer through three weeks, per PFF.

Until Pittsburgh is certain that Wilson is at 100%, it makes no sense to risk it, especially with how good Fields has looked.

Steelers vs. Colts odds

Despite the Colts playing in front of their home crowd, they enter this non-divisional AFC matchup as two-point dogs against Pittsburgh.

The Steelers have a 3-0 record against the spread, while Indianapolis has covered the spread in two of its first three games of the regular season.

Additionally, the point total for this matchup rests at 40 points, with the over and under hovering around -110 odds.

Pittsburgh has finished all three of its games under the game’s point total line. The Colts have a 1-2 over record through three games.

Find the best PA sportsbooks here so you can bet on this game!

Steelers defense dominates

As anticipated, the Steelers have been absolutely dominant on the defensive side of the ball, holding opponents to the fewest points (8.7) and fewest yards (229.7) per game through the first three weeks of the 2024 NFL regular season.

They are also first in opponent red zone touchdown scoring percentage (16.67%) and have the second-highest-graded defense in the league, per PFF.

Unexpectedly, Pittsburgh appears to be the best team in the AFC North through three weeks.

While that is always subject to change, considering it is a long season, “Steelers win total” and “Steelers to win the AFC North ” betting backers have to be pleased with what they are seeing.

Steelers vs. Colts betting

Expect the Colts to be playing much of the game from behind, making Richardson’s interception prop quite attractive. Pittsburgh ranks second in opponent interception thrown percentage, while Richardson leads the league in interceptions thrown.

Jonathan Taylor will be heavily leaned on in the first half to run the ball but a tough Pittsburgh front line will force Richardson to pass on second and long as well as third downs.

Further, expect the Colts to be playing from behind for most of the game; their defense has yet to prove they can contain even an average offensive unit.

Give his interceptions thrown line (0.5) a look on Caesars Sportsbook at -137.

Additionally, the Steelers moneyline at -130 on DraftKings Sportsbook is also quite appealing.

Steelers vs. Colts prediction

As incredibly athletic and talented, albeit raw, as Richardson is, he has little chance of having success against this elite Steelers unit.

So far this season, Richardson has the most interceptions (6), the worst completion percentage (49.3%), and the second-lowest quarterback rating, only besting the now-benched Bryce Young.

Indy’s offense would be an atrocity if it weren’t for Taylor, who has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the past two games.

Despite being one of the best backs in the league, it is hard to see Taylor moving the needle for this Colts offense against a Steelers defense that has held opponents to just 71 rushing yards per game (third-lowest) on a meager 3.5 yard-per-carry average.

After all, they will likely stack the box and force Richardson to make tough throws into tight windows. Pittsburgh should have no problem walking away from Indianapolis with a win.

Pick: Steelers Moneyline (-130, DraftKings)