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NFL Odds: Can the Steelers Make the Playoffs in 2023?

A surprising 7-4 start has many people wondering, can the Steelers make the playoffs? Pittsburgh finally fired Matt Canada, who had long held the title of the worst offensive coordinator in the league.

The Steelers’ offense moved the ball well in their first game post-Canada. People who bet on the NFL online are now viewing the new-look Pittsburgh team as a playoff contender. They are favored to make the playoffs for the first time in the post-Big Ben era.

Continue reading to see the latest Steelers’ playoff odds. I will break down the latest odds and tell you what Pittsburgh needs to do to stay on track for the postseason.

Updated Steelers Odds to Make the Playoffs

No team in the NFL has locked up a spot in the postseason, yet. Technically speaking, no team has been mathematically eliminated yet, either. The Steelers are one of the few teams that are favored to make the playoffs, though.

According to sites like BetUS, here are the Steelers’ odds of making the playoffs:

• Pittsburgh makes the playoffs (-230)
• Pittsburgh misses the playoffs (+190)

The Steelers are currently second in the AFC North and would be the fifth seed in the AFC if the playoffs started today. Their 7-4 record puts them just 1.5 games behind the division-leading Ravens (9-3).

Steelers Odds to Win the AFC North

As has been the case for over a decade, the AFC North is one of the most competitive divisions in the conference. There would be three teams from the North in the AFC playoffs if the season ended today.

Amount of 400 yard games under Matt Canada: 0

Amount of 400 yard games in one game without Matt Canada: 1

(h/t @Alex_Kozora) pic.twitter.com/7idLicW8qh

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) November 26, 2023

Baltimore is currently at the top of the division, but they have not locked up the division crown yet. Here are the current odds to win the AFC North, according to BetUS Sportsbooks.

• Baltimore Ravens (-325)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (+450)
• Cleveland Browns (+550)
• Cincinnati Bengals (+25000)

The Ravens (-325) are heavy favorites to win the AFC North. However, Baltimore has already lost to the Browns and the Steelers once this season. The Ravens have to face the Steelers again in Week 18, which could be for the division.

Pittsburgh and Cleveland are both still alive for the division, but they need Baltimore to lose at least two more games the rest of the way. That is possible, especially fi Lamar suffers a season-ending injury for the third straight season. Cincinnati’s season ended in Week 11 when Joe Burrow suffered his own season-ending wrist injury.

How Can the Steelers Make the Playoffs?

There are two ways any team in the NFL can make the playoffs: win their division or win a Wild Card spot. In the Steelers’ case, both options are still on the table.

Can the Steelers Win the AFC North?

The easiest way for the Steelers to ensure that they get into the playoffs is to win the AFC North. To do that, they need to surpass the Ravens in the division standings.

Pittsburgh already has one win against Baltimore this season and has a chance to sweep them in Week 18. Depending on the rest of the season, that could be enough for the Steelers to win the AFC North.

Here is a look at the remaining schedules for these two AFC North teams:

Week	Pittsburgh Steelers	Baltimore Ravens
Week 13	vs. Arizona Cardinals	Bye
Week 14	vs. New England Patriots	vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week 15	at Indianapolis Colts	at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 16	vs. Cincinnati Bengals	at San Francisco 49ers
Week 17	at Seattle Seahawks	vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 18	at Baltimore Ravens	vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Half of Pittsburgh’s remaining schedule is on the road, while Baltimore has three of its five remaining games at home. Another advantage for the Ravens is that they will host the Week 18 matchup with the Steelers.

Pittsburgh has the easier remaining schedule of the two teams, though. Baltimore has to play Jacksonville (8-3), San Francisco (8-3), and Miami (8-3). If the Ravens stumble against these top teams, then the door could be open for the Steelers to win the division.

How Can the Steelers Get a Wild Card Spot?

Even if Pittsburgh does not win the AFC North, they are still in a great position to make the playoffs. At 7-4, the Steelers are tied for the best record of any would-be Wild Card team. Pittsburgh has the tiebreaker over Cleveland and would be the 5th seed if the playoffs started today.

The Steelers control their own destiny, but any losses along the way could put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. There are plenty of other AFC teams in the hunt for a Wild Card spot, including:

• Cleveland Browns (7-4, currently the sixth seed)
• Indianapolis Colts (6-5, currently the seventh seed)
• Houston Texans (6-5)
• Denver Broncos (6-5)
• Buffalo Bills (6-6)

As I have said before, I believe Houston will make the playoffs. The Broncos and Bills also cannot be counted out. Denver has the longest active winning streak in the NFL, and Buffalo has Josh Allen.

If the Steelers win four of their six remaining games, they should get into the playoffs. Even a 3-3 record down the stretch could be enough for Pittsburgh to return to the postseason.

Biggest Obstacles to a Steelers Playoff Berth

No team is perfect, and the Steelers have more than their fair share of issues. There are three major obstacles that could prevent Pittsburgh from making it to the playoffs.

Offensive Struggles

The Steelers’ offense has been hard to watch the last few years. Last week against Cincinnati was the first time Pittsburgh topped 400 yards of total offense in the last 59 games.

It was also the first game after the team fired OC Matt Canada. The offense looked better, but they still struggled to put up points against the Bengals in their 16-10 win. If the Steelers cannot start putting up points, their offense could continue to cost them games down the stretch.

The defenses Pittsburgh has to face down the stretch are not easier to score against, either. Luckily, the Steelers’ next two opponents, Arizona and New England, have also struggled to score as of late.

Defensive Injuries

Another potential roadblock for the Steelers is their injuries, specifically the ones on defense. All-Pro Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has not played since injuring his hamstring in the team’s Week 8 loss to Jacksonville. Starting linebackers Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander both suffered season-ending injuries this year.

TJ Watt is the best defensive player on the planet#Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on why pic.twitter.com/K4s8vPhGZC

— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) November 28, 2023

Safeties Keanu Neal and Elijah Riley were also added to the IR this month. Pittsburgh needs to win through its defense. The more injuries that stack up on that side of the ball, the harder it will be to smother opposing teams’ offenses.

As we saw last year, an injury to OLB TJ Watt could effectively end the Steelers’ playoff hopes. The team went just 1-7 in the eight games Watt missed last season.

Lack of Tiebreakers

Last but not least, Pittsburgh also needs to be concerned with its lack of tiebreakers in the AFC. Right now, Pittsburgh is tied for the best record of any would-be Wild Card team. They have the tiebreaker over the Browns, so the Steelers have the better seed.

If Pittsburgh needs a tiebreak against another team, though, then they are in trouble. The Steelers still have to play the Colts, and the head-to-head tiebreaker will be on the line.

Houston already has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Pittsburgh. If Jacksonville somehow falls out of pole position in the AFC South, they will have the tiebreaker over the Steelers, too.

Will the Steelers Make the Playoffs?

A few weeks ago, I was very concerned about Pittsburgh making the playoffs. Since then, the Steelers have improved to 7-4 and are within arm’s reach of winning the division. Also, two of their biggest competitors, the Bengals and the Browns, lost their starting QBs for the season.

"When you look at the remaining schedule for the Pittsburgh Steelers … they are making the playoffs."@AdamSchein is 100% sure pic.twitter.com/GjgA4tzKdS

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 5, 2023

As I stated above, the Steelers need to go at least 3-3 down the stretch to get into the postseason. Pittsburgh’s upcoming games against Arizona and New England should provide two of the wins the Steelers need.

I believe Pittsburgh can do just enough to make the playoffs this season. However, I do not think that the Steelers will be able to catch the Ravens in the AFC North. A Wild Card berth is good enough to satisfy the conditions of this bet, though.

Do You Think the Steelers Will Make the Playoffs?

For better or worse, the Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be on track for a postseason appearance. Check out the blog above to see how the Steelers can make the playoffs this season. Then, log in to BetUS to place your NFL postseason futures wagers.