Maybe it's the excitement of the moment.
Or maybe it's because they're coming off a winning playoff season.
But the oddsmakers - who God bless 'em do often somehow seem to know more than the rest of us - are getting the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers all wrong ...
Right?
On the defensive side of the ball for the Steelers, there has been a Jalen Ramsey facelift. On the offensive side? Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf and Jonnu Smith represent the same and more.
Many think that will lead to an improved record in 2025 for the AFC North team.
In a recent article by NFL Spin Zone's Sayre Bedinger, he predicts the record of every AFC North when the end of the 2025 season rolls around. And for the Steelers, he thinks that they are going to make a slight improvement now that they have Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
"Given the fact that this team seems to be guaranteed to win nine games regardless of what happens at quarterback, I think the floor for this Steelers team is nine wins and the ceiling is probably somewhere around 11," Bedinger wrote. "Rodgers played better last season than most people realize, especially as the season went along, and he's got one of the league's best receivers to throw to in DK Metcalf."
But wait ...
Now comes along the news - surely shocking to fans in The Steel City - that the Steelers are favored in only six of their 17 games ... with PFT double-checking to note ...
"The Steelers are the favorites in Week 1 at the Jets (-3), Week 2 vs. the Seahawks (-1.5), Week 6 vs. the Browns (-6.5), Week 9 vs. the Colts (-3.5), Week 15 vs. the Dolphins (-2.5), and Week 17 at the Browns (-2.5).''
Our thoughts?
The Steelers have made the playoffs each of the last two seasons, so the team's new-look roster will be looking to keep that trend going and make it back to the postseason. ... and while we would never bet against the bookie?
We can't see how Pittsburgh suddenly devolves into being a lowly six-win team.