Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Betting Odds

2010 Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an interesting few seasons. After winning Super Bowl XLIII in the 2008-09 NFL season against the Arizona Cardinals, they didn't make the playoffs in the 2009-10 NFL season. But then they made it back to Super Bowl XLV last year, where they lost 31-25 to the Green Bay Packers.

2011 Off Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a 'well-honed machine' that have figured out how to reach the playoffs with some regularity, which is why head coach Mike Tomlin chose not to shake things up too much in the off season. The Steelers bid farewell to WR Antwaan Randle El, TE Matt Spaeth, OT Max Starks, OT Flozell Adams and DE Nick Eason, and used the 2011 NFL Draft to sign up DE Cameron Heyward, OT Marcus Gilbert, CB Curtis Brown and others. Former Tampa Bay TE John Gilmore was also signed.

2011 Preview

Long-time fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers will have noticed a strange trend, which is that the last two times the team made it to the Super Bowl, they failed to make it to the playoffs in subsequent seasons. That said, if the Steelers play like they did last season, a place in the playoffs should be a shoe-in. Offensively, QB Ben Roethlisberger will be back to do his thing. He'll rely on speedy WR Mike Wallace to rack up the points this season. RT Willie Colon will be also be back, although he's recovering from a recently torn Achilles. Defensively, the Steelers finished second in the league in sacks last year with 56, one less than the Packers. However, after two back surgeries, LB James Harrison may be less effective this season, which means LaMarr Woodley may have to step up, who racked up 10 sacks last season. The lineup will also be bolstered by veteran DEs Aaron Smith and Brett Kiesel, as well as NT Casey Hampton. The Steelers will be holding thumbs that SS Troy Polamalu has fully recovered from his Achilles injury.

2011 Prediction

Last season the Pittsburgh Steelers finished first in the AFC North division with a record of 12-4, and came excruciatingly close to beating Green Bay for the championship. Are they capable of doing it all over again this season with their current lineup, hell yeah. Whether they will is another story, but there is no doubt coach Tomlin will pull out all the stops in his quest to win the Vince Lombardi trophy again.

**Our Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't perfect by any means, but they have far more going for them than most NFL franchises, such as a highly motivated Super Bowl-winning coach, a smorgasbord of talented players and the belief that they can make it to the playoffs and beyond. We see them bucking the trend and making it back to the Super Bowl for the second straight year, topping the AFC North on 13-3.