The Seattle Seahawks will be at a huge disadvantage on Sunday night when they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers because Seattle will be without future Hall of Fame quarterback Russell Wilson due to injury, which has absolutely affected this spread.

NitroBetting is your number one source of NFL football previews. Below, we bring you a closer look at the upcoming Seahawks vs. Steelers, starting with key event details, team and player statistics, and the latest NFL odds. In addition, we provide betting trends and expert betting predictions that help you lock in on the best possible picks. Don’t forget to check for the latest sports betting odds and lines at our online BTC sportsbook.

Seahawks vs. Steelers Game Information

• When: Sunday, Oct. 17 at 8:20 pm ET
• Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• TV: NBC
• Radio: ESPN 710 AM (Seahawks) / WDVE 102.5 FM (Steelers)
• Live Stream:NFL Game Pass
• NFL Odds: Seattle Seahawks (+5.5) / Pittsburgh Steelers (-5.5)

READ MORE: Bills vs. Titans 2021 NFL Week 6 Odds, Analysis and Prediction

Why Bet on the Seattle Seahawks?

Seattle is 10-9 all-time vs. Pittsburgh but lost the most important matchup, 21-10 in Super Bowl XL in Detroit. Ben Roethlisberger was a second-year QB for the Steelers back then and Pittsburgh was coached by Bill Cowher and Seattle by Mike Holmgren.

This is the added 17th opponent for each this year. They played in 2019 in Week 2 in Pittsburgh and the Seahawks won 28-26. Russell Wilson threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Roethlisberger left in the second quarter with an injured elbow that would end his season. Backup Mason Rudolph completed 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The only way Rudolph plays here also would be due to injury to Big Ben.

Wilson mangled his right middle finger in last Thursday’s loss to the Rams and will miss at least four weeks after having surgery over the weekend. It will end his streak of 149 consecutive starts. Only Peyton Manning (208) has started more consecutive games to begin his career among quarterbacks since the 1970 merger.

Sunday will be the first start by a Seattle quarterback other than Wilson since Jan. 1, 2012, when Tarvaris Jackson started the final game of the 2011 season, a 23-20 overtime loss at Arizona. That honor will go to Geno Smith, who is 12-19 in his NFL career as a starter. Smith led the Seahawks to two scoring drives in relief of Wilson vs. the Rams but also had a crucial pick. He will be making his first start since Dec. 3, 2017.

“He’s a very talented football player, he has a great arm, great sense, and he knows the system really well,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “I totally trust that Geno can do this. He really understands the system, so we will be able to stay with the preparation and that will help everybody. Geno makes guys around him feel confident and feel comfortable.”

Seattle’s defense has been the NFL’s worst after it also was last year. The Seahawks (2-3) have allowed at least 450 yards in four straight games. That’s the longest streak in team history and tied for the longest in NFL history. In a surprise, the team waived former starting cornerback Tre Flowers on Wednesday.

Flowers has started 40 games over three-plus seasons with the Seahawks, who drafted him in the fifth round out of Oklahoma State in 2018 and converted him from safety to cornerback. Seattle’s cornerback play has remained problematic, even with Sidney Jones IV replacing Flowers in the starting lineup. High-paid safety Jamal Adams has disappointed.

It’s trending toward top running back Chris Carson playing after he missed Week 5 with a neck injury, but backup Alex Collins has played well enough that he will continue to get snaps.

Why Bet on the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Pittsburgh (2-3) snapped a three-game skid in Week 5 with a 27-19 upset of Denver but lost starting wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster for the season – he was the second-longest tenured player on offense. Smith-Schuster, 24, has 323 receptions for 3,855 yards and 26 touchdowns in 63 games played over five seasons. After a nine-touchdown 2020 season, Smith-Schuster has just one — a rushing score — this season.

Every Pittsburgh receiver who made the roster after training camp — with the exception of Ray-Ray McCloud — has missed game time with an injury. James Washington missed Week 5 with a groin injury but should take most of Smith-Schuster’s targets assuming he’s able to return Sunday.

Pittsburgh is 89-63 (.586) in regular-season primetime games since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. That .586 winning percentage ranks fourth in the league.

Seahawks vs. Steelers Betting Trends

• Seahawks are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 games in October.
• Seahawks are 2-7 ATS in the last 9 road games.
• The total went under in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 games.
• Steelers are 0-6 ATS in the last 6 games as a favorite.
• Steelers are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 home games.
• The total went under in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 5 games.

Seahawks vs. Steelers Expert Betting Predictions

Pick: Steelers 27, Seahawks 20

Check out our latest sports betting guides for the 2021 NFL Regular Season. Stay tuned for more Football previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Football betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.