Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs 2017: Week 6 Prediction, Betting Odds

The best game on Sunday’s schedule in Week 6 of the 2017 NFL season features the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a rematch from last year’s playoffs, pitting two of the AFC’s top teams against one another.

The latest betting odds have Kansas City favored by 4.5 points at home, via OddsShark, and the over/under is 45.5. Here’s a closer look at the Week 6 game, as well as a prediction against the spread:

Why the Chiefs could cover the spread

There are plenty of debates to be had regarding where certain teams might belong in the Week 6 power rankings, but there should be no argument about the Chiefs. Kansas City is the undeniably best team in football, proving it again week in and week out.

The Chiefs haven’t achieved the NFL’s only undefeated record by beating up on a weak schedule--they’ve defeated some of the best teams in the league. It started in the season opener when they beat the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Kansas City’s second victory came against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are 4-0 in games against anyone but the Chiefs. Kansas CIty’s most recent win came at Houston, who had just scored 90 points in their previous two games.

Kansas City sits at 5-0 because of the NFL’s No.1 scoring offense. Alex Smith has the league’s best passer rating, and Kareem Hunt is 143 yards ahead of the NFL’s No.2 rusher. Taking on a team that puts up 32.8 points per game, the Steelers could be in for a rude awakening.

Pittsburgh’s defense hasn’t been tested whatsoever this season. Their first three games came against a backup quarterback and two quarterbacks that have already been benched. The Steelers beat Joe Flacco, the league’s second-worst ranked passer, in Week 4. Last week, Pittsburgh lost to Blake Bortles and his No.26 passer rating. Only the Jaguars have allowed more yards per carry than the Steelers.

The Steelers seemingly have the talent to keep pace with the Chiefs, but their offense has been among the league’s most disappointing units. Pittsburgh is tied for 19th in scoring, and they haven’t even scored 27 points once this season. Are they going to finally fix things on the road in their most difficult game of the year?

Why the Steelers could cover the spread

Be careful not to overreact when looking at Pittsburgh’s Week 5 loss to the Jaguars. The Steelers got blown out at home because Ben Roethlisberger was picked off five times. That’s not going to happen again in Week 6 when Pittsburgh visits Kansas City.

It was an uncharacteristically bad performance for Roethlisberger, who had thrown just two interceptions in the first four games. Maybe he’s no longer a top-five or even a top-10 quarterback, but he’s still more than capable of putting up big numbers in this offense.

Roethlisberger had some bad luck last week. He simply has too many weapons around him to keep playing poorly. Le’Veon Bell didn’t all of a sudden stop being one of the league’s best running backs, and Antonio Brown is the league’s leading receiver. Roethlisberger might even have the best offensive line in football, taking fewer hits per game than most other starting quarterbacks.

As improved as Kansas City’s offense might be, it’s only a matter of time before they have a letdown. It’s hard to believe Smith will be the NFL’s best-rated passer for much longer. There’s a chance he’ll be without tight end Travis Kelce, who suffered a concussion in Week 5. Kelce leads the Chiefs with 37 targets, 29 catches and six receptions of at least 30 yards.

Pittsburgh can only play the teams on their schedule. The defense has been terrific, ranking fourth in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed. No one has given up fewer passing yards than the Steelers.

When Pittsburgh hosted Kansas City a year ago, the Steelers won 43-14. Pittsburgh held the Chiefs to 16 points when they beat them in the divisional playoffs a few months later.

Prediction

The Chiefs can score on anyone, and the Steelers’ offense hasn’t come close to reaching its potential. If both teams play like they have over the first five games, Kansas City is going to win by double digits.

There’s a good chance things will be different in Week 6.

Look for a big bounce-back performance by Roethlisberger and the Steelers, delivering one of the best primetime games this season.

Pittsburgh over Kansas City, 30-27