Eagles and Steelers Collide in NFL Week 5: PA Odds Favor Undefeated Pittsburgh

Week 4 was weird for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers’ scheduled game with the Tennessee Titans was postponed when three players and five other members of the Titans organization tested positive for coronavirus. By Oct. 3, the total had hit 17 positive tests. No members of the Steelers tested positive. The game has been rescheduled for Week 7.

Such is the precarious nature of professional sports outside of a bubble in the time of coronavirus.

The novel virus has not wreaked havoc on the Eagles, but much like last season, they have been dogged by injuries. During Week 4, with a depleted roster and a quarterback with the worst passer rating in the league, the Eagles (+7) upset the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. To make things even wackier, by Sunday night, the Eagles sat at first place in the NFC East with a 1-2-1 record.

The commonwealth’s two teams square off on Sunday for the first time since 2016. Pennsylvania online sportsbooks list the Steelers as 7- or 7.5-point favorites, with the over/under at 44.5.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers odds

Here are the odds at DraftKings as of Tuesday, Oct. 6, followed by updated odds as game time approaches.

Eagles vs. Steelers Week 5 betting preview

With Greg Ward as his No. 1 receiver and confidence in his play at an all-time low, Carson Wentz put in a gutsy performance. Wentz connected with Travis Fulgham, who was promoted from the practice squad, for a 42-yard touchdown with less than six minutes to go to put the Eagles ahead 25-20.

The Eagles defense had their best game of the season, sacking 49ers backup quarterback Nick Mullens five times and registering two interceptions.

The Steelers didn’t get their third win last season until Oct. 28. Now, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back under center, they are 3-0. A major factor that is similar to last year is the Steelers defense, which continues to dominate.

They are ranked second for fewest yards per game (290) and fifth for points per game (19.3). Since the Steelers were sidelined during Week 4, the Eagles (17) climbed over them (15) for the lead for most sacks.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers betting stats and info from DraftKings

• The Eagles are 1-3 ATS. The Steelers are 2-1 ATS.
• The Steelers have won each of their last 13 home games against teams that had a losing record.
• Five of the Eagles’ last six road games have gone over the total points line.
• The Eagles have covered the spread in six of their last eight games as road underdogs.
• In Week 4, Zach Ertz logged four receptions for nine yards. It was his lowest rec. yards since November 2017.
• The total opened at 47.5. On Tuesday, it was down to 44.5.
• The Eagles’ last two games have gone under.
• The Steelers’ last two games have gone over.

Bettors lean toward Steelers

Public betting splits at FanDuel for Eagles vs. Steelers (-7):

• 66% of bets and 71% of money for the Steelers on the spread
• 64% of bets and 54% of money for the Eagles on the moneyline
• 64% of bets and 58% of money on the over (44.5)

Public betting splits at DraftKings for Eagles vs. Steelers (-7)

• 68% of the bets and 78% of the handle for the Steelers on the spread
• 79% of the bets and 72% of the money for the Steelers (-315) on the moneyline
• 77% of bets and 55% of money on the over (44.5)

At BetRivers, the Steelers (-335) are getting 85% of the total ML handle. The O/U opened at 45.5 but dropped to 43.5. Sixty percent of the O/U handle is backing the over.

BetRivers is one of the only PA sportsbooks apps that has some pricing that isn’t the usual (-110). For example, this Sunday, the Eagles are +7 (-106). Check back at BetRivers on Sundays, as they usually drop it for other games, too.

Week 5 promos at PA sportsbook apps

DraftKings

• First TD for Any QB Odds Boost: Get any quarterback on Sunday to score the first TD of their game boosted to +150 (max bet $25).

Unibet:

• Happy Hour Boost: 30% profit boost on every NFL Sunday late afternoon game
• Pigskin Parlay: Instant 50% cash boost when creating an eight-team parlay

FanDuel:

• Risk-Free $1,000 bet for new users: New users at FanDuel can get up to a $1,000 free bet. Register, make a deposit and place a wager on the FanDuel sportsbook app. Then, if your first wager loses, FanDuel will refund losses in the form of a free bet up to $1,000.
• Same-Game Parlay: Place a same-game parlay on any Week 4, and if you don’t win, get a refund of up to $10 in site credit.

BetRivers Free NFL Profit Boost Every Week:

• Log in to BetRivers online sportsbook every Sunday and get a 50% profit boost (max $50 bet).

Week 5 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers bet boosts

FanDuel

(Max bet $50)

• Ravens (-5.5), Texans (+0.5) and Steelers (-0.5) boosted from (+157) to +200

DraftKings

• Wentz to record to two+ total touchdowns boosted from (+115) to +200 (max bet $25, opt-in required)
• James Conner and Miles Sanders each to score a touchdown boosted from (+274) to +380

Fox Bet

• Each team to score a TD in both halves boosted from (+200) to +300
• Miles Sanders and James Conner to combine for 150+ rushing yards boosted from (+135) to +160
• Zach Ertz to score a TD in the second half boosted from (+300) to +380
• JuJu Smith-Schuster to score a TD in the fourth quarter boosted from (+500) to +600
• Final score: Steelers 28, Eagles 21 boosted from (+8000) to +10000
• Final score: Eagles 28, Steelers 24 boosted from (+8000) to +10000

NFL Week 5 betting trends

At FanDuel:

Highest percentage of handle to cover the point spread:

• 96%: Arizona Cardinals (-7) vs. New York Giants

Highest percentage of handle for moneyline:

• 86%: Los Angeles Rams (-350) vs. Washington Football Team

Highest percentage of handle for total points:

• 81%: Los Angeles Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints (over 50.5)

DraftKings Week 5 highest percentages for of handle for:

• Point spread: Steelers (-7). 78% of the money on the Steelers to cover the spread
• Over/under: 77% of money on Rams vs. Washington (over 46.5)
• Moneyline: 95% on ML handle on the Dallas Cowboys (-345)

At Bet Rivers

• The Cardinals (-335 ML) are backed by a whopping 94% of the game handle to beat the winless Jets in East Rutherford, NJ. The Jets (+7) are 0-4 ATS and have lost all four games by an average of 16.5 ppg.
• There is more money backing Baltimore -715 ML than any other Sunday side.

Complete Week 5 NFL Odds at PA Sportsbooks

Lead image credit: AP Photo/Keith Srakocic