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There will not be a matchup of future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Pittsburgh on Sunday night as the Seattle Seahawks will be without Russell Wilson against Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, who are solid favorites because of it on the NFL odds.

How to Bet Seahawks at Steelers NFL Odds & TV Info

When: Sunday, 8:20 PM ET
Where: Heinz Field
TV: NBC
Radio: http://www.siriusxm.com/nfl
Stream Option: NBC Sports app
Opening NFL Lines: Steelers -5 (total 42)

Last Meeting

In 2019, Seattle won 28-26 in Pittsburgh, a game in which Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger left early injured and it turned out to be season ending. Backup Mason Rudolph completed 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Russell Wilson threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns for Seattle. Three Wilson scrambles on Seattle’s final drive helped drain the final 5:34 off the clock.

Why Bet on Seattle?

Seattle (2-3) lost last Thursday 26-17 at home to the LA Rams and lost star QB Russell Wilson to a finger injury that will keep him out until at least Week 10. Wilson is dealing with a fracture and dislocation of his injured finger in addition to a torn tendon. He underwent surgery to insert three pins into his middle finger. With a bye week in Week 9, Wilson could miss as few as three games. Wilson’s streak of 149 consecutive starts is the sixth-longest in NFL history.

In relief of Wilson, Geno Smith completed 10-of-17 passes for 131 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Wilson’s backup since 2019, Smith had attempted only five passes since arriving in Seattle. Smith played well, consistently moving the ball and finding DK Metcalf for a 23-yard touchdown.

Smith played college football 75 miles south of Heinz Field, just down the Monongahela River at West Virginia University. It 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.

Smith will be making his first ever start with the Seahawks and his first in the NFL since 2017, when the New York Giants turned to Smith and ended then-Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s streak of 210 consecutive starts.

“Geno hasn’t played, and it’s a little bit different from Russell, so you got to be on your P’s and Q’s,” said defensive tackle Cameron Heyward. “For Russell we’ve had a good body of work. We’ve been watching Geno. He can spin it. He’s been in this league for a while. We’re going have our work cut out for us.”

It’s not clear if top running back Chris Carson will return from a neck injury. Last week Coach Pete Carroll said Carson has a “long-term” issue in his neck — the coach called a “condition” — that flares up some weeks more than others. Seattle is 19th in the NFL in rushing offense, at 104 yards per game. Carson had 91, 31, 80 and 30 yards rushing in the first four games before getting sidelined by an injury for the fifth time in five years since the Seahawks drafted him in 2017. One player back is top tight end Gerald Everett, who missed the past two on the COVID list.

Seattle currently has the NFL’s worst defense, on pace to allow the most yards ever. Star linebacker Bobby Wagner said: “I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for us to step up. I think it’s needed. Obviously with Russell being down, a lot of it’s going to fall on Geno to run that offense and do the things that we’re accustomed to seeing, but we’ve got to play better, and we have to accept this challenge of getting out of this hole and getting out of whatever we dug ourselves into.”

Why Bet on Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh (2-3) beat the Broncos 27-19 last week to end a three-game skid. Ben Roethlisberger completed 15-of-25 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. Roethlisberger battled minor injuries throughout the game, working with trainers on the sidelines at times between series. He returned for each drive.

Rookie RB Najee Harris rushed 23 times for 122 yards and a touchdown while adding two receptions for 20 yards on five targets. Harris dealt with cramps throughout the second half and did not play on the Steelers’ final drive. Chase Claypool caught 5-of-6 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown.

Another starting WR, JuJu Smith-Schuster, suffered a season-ending injury in the loss. Smith-Schuster, 24, had been targeted 28 times this season for 15 catches, 129 yards and no scores. He is playing on a one-year contract and it is unknown whether he will return to the Steelers in 2022.

The Steelers have used three wide receivers 76 percent of the time in their five games. They rank only slightly behind the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Commanders. For Smith-Schuster, 74.3 percent of his 222 snaps have been in the slot this year, and 40 percent of his catches have gone for first downs. Since the start of last season, Roethlisberger had a 72% completion rate to Smith-Schuster, 10% higher than when he targeted all other receivers.

“When you talk about losing a guy like JuJu and how he functions within the framework of our offense, usually you’re talking about multiple people assuming the role in some form or- fashion,” Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. “… We’re not trying to replace JuJu. We’re just trying to provide additional opportunity for those that get expanded roles.”

Ray-Ray McCloud could take over as the primary slot guy. He’s been in the slot for 81 percent of his 89 snaps this year. He has only five receptions, but he fits the mold of a typical slot receiver — fast and shifty.

Linebacker Devin Bush, who came out of the Broncos game with a groin injury, will be good to go Sunday. Cornerback Cameron Sutton, who was inactive last week against the Broncos with a groin injury, also should play. Having both healthy will definitely be a boost for the defense.