- Pittsburgh (4-3) is a 2.5-point home favorite over the Titans (3-4) on Thursday Night Football
- Tennessee’s rookie sensation Will Levis will face Steelers backup Mitch Trubisky
- Week 8’s matchup kicks off from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA at 8:15pm ET
Will Levis passed for 238 yards and four touchdowns in his NFL debut on Sunday, leading his Titans to a 28-23 victory over the Falcons. Tennessee’s second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft will likely find things considerably more difficult on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
However, the Steelers will be starting Mitch Trubisky at quarterback after Kenny Pickett exited week 8 an injury. Before we check the odds on the first Week 9 game of the week, here’s where you can find the best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2023.
Steelers vs Titans
Derrick Henry staying put?
Many expected Derrick Henry to be dealt before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. But, the 30-year-old franchise legend will likely be staying put after a 28-23 win over the Falcons on Sunday. While the Titans are still a longshot to make the playoffs with a 3-4 record, Will Levis’ professional debut suggests they won’t be tanking for a top pick.
Much maligned throughout the draft process, Levis used his cannon arm to connect with DeAndre Hopkins for three scores in week 8. The 24-year-old added another majestic 33-yard rope to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, leading Tennessee to a season-high 28 points.
Will Levis will be a top-10 QB in the #NFL by the end of the season.
Kid is a SUPERSTAR pic.twitter.com/NgsQ4KVjDz
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 29, 2023
Kenny Pickett injured
Kenny Pickett left Sunday’s 20-10 loss to the Jaguars with a rib injury. That means Mitch Trubisky will likely start on Thursday night after going 15 of 27 for 138 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in relief. Pittsburgh also saw star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick go down with a hamstring injury in the first quarter.
It’s a brutal turnaround for Steelers team that had won two-straight over the Ravens and the Rams heading into the week 8 game with Jacksonville.
Pittsburgh vs Tennessee
Pittsburgh is a 2.5-point home favorite on Thursday with the over/under set at a miniscule 37.5 points. The Steelers and Titans rank bottom-ten in scoring, both averaging just over 17 points per game. Will Levis’ star-making debut offers hope for Tennessee’s offense, but the rookie will, have to contend with T.J. Watt on Thursday night.
The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year sits 2nd in the NFL with 8 sacks. Although, Levis hung tough in the pocket on Sunday. Atlanta had two sacks and 14 QB pressures, with a pressure percentage of 43.8%.
Will Levis looked better in his first NFL game than Kenny Pickett has in any game of his career pic.twitter.com/fSkkK9Jju3
— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) October 29, 2023
Big night for King Henry?
Pittsburgh is allowing the fifth-most rushing yards per game (142.3) in the NFL. In Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville, Travis Etienne racked up 149 combined yards and a score. This suggests a big game could be in store for King Henry, assuming he isn’t traded out of town on Tuesday.
Without Minkah Fitzpatrick roaming the secondary, DeAndre Hopkins also has a good shot to stay hot after torching the Falcons for 128 yards and 3 TDs.
Best Bet
While Will Levis could surely fall back to earth on Thursday, we know for a fact that Trubisky is bad. So, we’ll choose to believe in the rookie QB on a short week. In a low-scoring slugfest, we like the Titans (+2.5) to sneak by a beat up Steelers squad with the UNDER 37.5.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
