The 2023 NFL regular season is roughly five months away, but that doesn’t mean Las Vegas isn’t churning out projections already. DraftKings Sportsbook recently released their win totals for all 32 teams in 2023, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were given less than desirable odds with only 8.5 wins. The Cincinnati Bengals are the clear favorites in the AFC North with a projected 11.5 wins, followed by the Cleveland Browns at 9.5. With the uncertain future of Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, the Ravens fell behind the Browns and are tied with the Steelers to finish last in the division at 8.5 wins.
Prior to Jackson’s revelation that he wants Baltimore to trade him, the Ravens were at +200 odds to win the AFC North, while the Cleveland Browns were at +430, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Per Pro Football Focus, the Steelers, New England Patriots and Houston Texans have beat their projected win total the most often over the last 17 years. Pittsburgh beat their win total in 11 of the last 17 years, failing to do so in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2018 and 2019.
The Steelers started the 2022 season 2-6, and at times, it seriously looked like they would have a top-5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, Pittsburgh regrouped following the bye week and won seven of their last nine games to finish the season 9-8 and extend Mike Tomlin’s non-losing season streak to 16. You really can’t ever count out a Tomlin-led coached team, or the Steelers for that matter. Pittsburgh hasn’t had a losing season since 2003, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.
Despite finishing off last season strong and Kenny Pickett showing great progress, the oddsmakers are still not keen on the Steelers for some reason. It could be due to the fact that the Steelers beat only one team with a winning record in their finial nine games — Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens with Tyler Huntley at quarterback. Matt Canada also remains at offensive coordinator, which doesn’t sit well with a good portion of the fanbase. The Steelers are banking on Pickett’s continuity in Canada’s system to blossom in Year 2, however.
The Steelers will play four playoff teams from this year in 2023 (Bengals, Ravens, Jaguars and 49ers). Their 2023 opponents had a combined record of 105-130-2 in 2022.
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