Steelers vs. Patriots Score Prediction for NFL Week 2 (Can Pittsburgh Cover on Road?)

A long layoff may do the New England Patriots well in Week 2, as they’re set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Drake Maye and Co. lost their season opener last Wednesday against the Seattle Seahawks, and the young quarterback threw three picks to seal the loss. Now, he takes on a tough Pittsburgh defense that allowed just 4.2 yards per play in a win over Atlanta in Week 1.

The Steelers got the best of the Patriots in the 2025 campaign, but these teams look a lot different in 2026.

Mike McCarthy has taken over as the Steelers’ head coach, and Aaron Rodgers has some new weapons on offense with Rico Dowdle and Michael Pittman.

Meanwhile, the Patriots lost their major offseason addition – A.J. Brown – to an ankle injury in Week 1. New England is still favored at home in this matchup, and it’ll need someone to step up to help Maye avoid an 0-2 start.

All season long, the SI Betting team plans to use the latest odds and our game analysis to predict the final score of every game, a fun way to help bettors make their final decision on the spread, moneyline and total for these matchups.

Both of these teams have playoff expectations in the 2026 season, and I’m expecting a close game on Sunday afternoon.

Steelers vs. Patriots Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Steelers +5.5 (-110)
Patriots -5.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Steelers: +190
Patriots: -230

Total

41.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

New England is the clear favorite in this game, even after a loss in Week 1 to Seattle. Both of these teams covered the spread in their season openers, though the offenses were 30th (Pittsburgh) and 21st (New England) in EPA/Play.

That’s led to a lower total than most of the games in the Week 2 slate, and it’s worth noting that the Pats and Steelers appeared in two of the seven games that went UNDER last week.

Steelers vs. Patriots Score Prediction

SI Betting’s senior editor Iain MacMillan and I are on opposite sides in this game, though we both expect the same team to win.

MacMillan explained why he’s betting on the Patriots in his Road to 272 column, where picks every game, every week:

The Steelers' offense ranks 29th in EPA per play, 30th in success rate, and 21st in DVOA. That's bad news for them now that they have to play an actual good team in the New England Patriots, who are coming off a mini-BYE.

I'm not concerned with A.J. Brown being out. The Patriots won many games without him last season, and they can win games without him this season. I'm also not going to put too much into their Week 1 loss against the Super Bowl champions. This team is built to beat up on inferior opponents, which is exactly what the Steelers are.

Pittsburgh’s offensive issues are a major concern, but this team completely shut down the Cooper Rush-led Falcons in Week 1, ranking No. 2 in EPA/Play while allowing just 4.2 yards per play.

New England’s offense is much better, but it didn’t show that in Week 1, scoring just 10 points against Seattle with Drake Maye throwing three picks. We’ve seen Maye struggle in several starts in a row dating back to last year’s playoffs, and the Steelers did beat this Patriots team in 2025.

At the end of the day, the Patriots probably end up winning this game because of Pittsburgh’s lack of offensive firepower with Rodgers at the end of his career. Still, I believe in this Pittsburgh defense to keep this closer than the spread suggests.

Final Score Prediction: Patriots 20, Steelers 16

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and get $150 in bonus bets instantly when you make your first $5 bet.

Add us as a preferred source on Google