The Pittsburgh Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016, and if early betting lines are any indication, that drought could continue.
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Despite all the sizzle of the Steelers offseason. Oddsmakers have them favored in only 6 games for 2025!!! They are:
Week 1-at Jets
Week 2-Seahawks
Week 6-Browns
Week 9-Colts
Week 15-Dolphins
Week 17-at BrownsNo respect for Rodgers. No faith in Tomlin.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) July 1, 2025
Despite a busy offseason that included changes under center with the supposedly ageless Aaron Rodgers, and an aggressive push to reshape the roster, oddsmakers remain cautious. According to DraftKings, the Steelers are favored in just six of their 17 regular-season games for the 2025 campaign. That backs up a recent report from Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan.
The six games in which Pittsburgh is favored are Week 1 at the Jets (minus-3), Week 2 against the Seahawks (minus-1.5), Week 6 at home against the Browns (minus-6.5), Week 9 versus the Colts (minus-3.5), Week 15 against the Dolphins (minus-2.5), and Week 17 in Cleveland (minus-2.5). The rest of the slate features 11 games where the Steelers are currently listed as underdogs.
Of course, these lines are likely to shift as the season approaches. One major variable is the ongoing contract situation with All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt. The team has reportedly told those around the NFL that it has no intention of trading Watt, though that kind of language has often preceded blockbuster moves in the past.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has his work cut out for him in 2025. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A trade involving Watt this late in the offseason would be seismic. The locker room would likely struggle to move forward without one of its emotional leaders and foundational players. The team's outlook would take a significant hit, especially if it went from planning around Watt to suddenly trying to replace him.
That possibility also gives Watt extra leverage in contract talks. If the Steelers want to maintain stability and avoid turmoil, they may need to make him the highest-paid player at his position. That figure would have to come in above the current mark set by Myles Garrett.
Even if Pittsburgh manages to secure a deal with Watt and avoid any internal fallout, the betting public is clearly not convinced. The game-by-game lines suggest there is still plenty of skepticism about the team's chances of returning to the postseason and making noise once they get there.
For now, the Steelers find themselves walking a tightrope. The odds say they will need to fight for every inch.
