Steelers at Bills time odds prediction How to watch key matchups as Ben Roethlisberger Josh Allen battle
In some respects, the ' 2020 season ended in Buffalo in Week 14. A week after suffering their first lo s of the season, Pittsburgh's weakne ses were gleefully exposed by the , who handed the Steelers their second consecutive lo s in front of a nationally televised audience. The lo s was one of five defeats the Steelers would endure during the final six weeks of a season that ultimately ended with a bitter lo s to the in the wild-card round.Conversely, the Bills' 26-15 win over the Steelers was part of Kyle Korver Jersey a seven-game winning streak that didn't end until Buffalo ran into the defending champion in the AFC Championship Game. Buffalo enjoyed an early 9-0 lead in that game before threetouchdown pa ses keyed the Chiefs' second consecutive Super Bowl berth. The Bills have brought back most of the players who won 14 games a season ago, as 20 of Buffalo's 22 starters from 2020 will take the field on Sunday.Both teams are once again vying for playoff positioning in 2021. Buffalo is the odds-on favorite to win a second consecutive AFC East title. The Steelers' odds to repeat as NFC North champs are not as good, but they are expected to be in the thick of things as far as the playoffs are concerned. With Sunday's game just around the corner, here's a deeper dive at both teams as far as a prediction and a key matchup to watch.Before we break down the Donte DiVincenzo Jersey game, here's how you can follow the action in real time. Date:Sunday, September 12|Time:1 p.m. ETLocation:Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, New York)TV:CBS|Stream:Paramount+ ()Follow:Odds: Bills -6.5, O/U 48.5When Buffalo has the ball: As noted above, the Bills are bringing back most of their players from last year's 15-win team. The biggest difference on offense is the addition of , who Mike Tomlin lauded during his weekly pre s conference. Pittsburgh's third-round pick way back in 2010, Sanders will look to complement and . The onus of Buffalo's pa sing attack will continue to revolve around Diggs, who earned All-Pro honors during his first season with the Bills. Diggs will be shadowed on Sunday by Steelers cornerback , with Sanders drawing coverage from , a five-year veteran who has replaced in the starting lineup. Expect to test Sutton as well as , who has replaced as Pittsburgh's new nickelback. The Bills will also likely test the middle of the Steelers' defense with tight end , who caught four pa ses in last year's matchup. The Steelers are hoping that recently-acquired inside linebacker will help minimize opposing tight ends in 2021. is the Bills' starting running back, but the team is expected to use second-year back and veteran on a consistent basis. Look for the Bills to test the Steelers' interior defensive line early, as will fill in for injured veteran at defensive end. Tackles and will have their hands full against Pittsburgh's pa s rushers, led by , and 2020 third-round pick . Given Watt's lack of practice time this summer, expect a significant workload from Ingram, who has shown flashes of his Pro Bowl self since joining the Steelers. When Pittsburgh has the ball: All eyes will be on on Sunday as he begins his 18th season. Roethlisberger was bedeviled by dropped pa ses during December's lo s in Buffalo. , the Malcolm Brogdon Jersey main culprit of those drops, has worked extensively on his hands during the offseason. Roethlisberger will surely give Johnson some opportunities on Sunday. He will also continue to spread the ball around to fellow wideouts and . Another player to keep an eye on Sunday is rookie tight end , who caught two touchdowns from Roethlisberger during the preseason. Pittsburgh's receivers will be challenged by Buffalo's talented defensive backfield, led by cornerback and safeties and .Sunday will the regular season debut of , the first running back selected in this year's draft. While fans can expect to see and receive carries Sunday, Harris will receive the bulk of the workload.It will be interesting to see how often Matt Canada goes after Bills Pro Bowl linebacker on intermediate routes, something that was a stable of the Steelers' offense in 2020. Expect to see more pre-snap motion, jet sweeps and bubble screens with Canada calling the shots. The Steelers will also be out to prove that Robin Lopez Jersey Big Ben's deep ball is as potent as ever. The Steelers' revamped offensive line will have to win their share of plays against the Bills' veteran defensive line, a group that is led by , , and . Last season, the trio of Hughes, Addison and Oliver combined to record 12.5 sacks, 17 tackles for lo s and four forced fumbles. The Steelers will have two rookies starting on their offensive line in left tackle . and center . has moved back from left to right tackle, while second-year lineman remains at left guard. Five-time Pro Bowler was signed in July to replace at right guard. What this unit lacks in experience they are hoping to make up for in physicality.As witne sed in the preseason, this unit will give up some negative plays. Whether or not they can keep those plays to a minimum while keeping Roethlisberger relatively healthy will likely help determine the outcome in not only this game but throughout Pittsburgh's 2021 season. Caesars Sportsbook has tabbed the Bills as a 6.5 favorite while the over/under is now 48.5. While they only combined to score 41 points in last year's meeting, I expect the two teams to exceed 50 points on Sunday. The weather will be better than it was on that December night, and both teams have since added significant weapons to their skill positions. As far as picking a winner, I'll go with the Bills. They're playing at home, and given their continuity and the Steelers' questions on the offensive line and in the secondary, Buffalo is the much safer pick. Look for Allen to take advantage of a Steelers secondary that is still Jaylen Adams Jersey figuring each other out. But if the Steelers' offense can stay out of too many third-and-long situations, Roethlisberger and company may keep things interesting. And as you can see below, I have a feeling that both teams' red zone offenses will surely not be in midseason form.Bills 30, Steelers 23