After their second-straight loss, Vegas has the Pittsburgh Steelers as three-point underdogs for their Week 9 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Per VSiN, the consensus line is Indianapolis -3.
The Colts come to Pittsburgh looking to build upon their lead in the AFC. They lead the conference with a 7-1 record and are one of two teams with just one loss on the season, along with the Green Bay Packers, who beat Pittsburgh 35-25 in Week 8.
QB Daniel Jones is enjoying a career resurgence in Indianapolis, which also features RB Jonathan Taylor, who is one of the MVP favorites at this point in the season. Taylor has run for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns this season as the Colts boast the No. 1 offense in the league in both total offense and scoring offense through Sunday.
Given the Steelers’ defensive struggles and the fact that they’re just 4-3, it’s not a surprise that the Colts are favored on Sunday. The Steelers have now allowed over 30 points in four of their seven games this season, and they’ve been outgained in seven of their eight games. Meanwhile, Indianapolis has scored over 30 points six times and 40 points twice. One of the two games in which the Colts failed to reach 30 points was in a 29-28 Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos, while the other came in their lone loss, a 27-20 defeat against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4.
In that game, Indianapolis could’ve scored more but WR A.D. Mitchell fumbled through the end zone on what should have been a 76-yard touchdown.
The Colts have proven that their offense is legitimate, and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is quite familiar with the Steelers. He spent 2019-2024 with the Cincinnati Bengals before getting fired during the offseason, but he’s done a good job with the Colts’ defense this season, especially given that they’ve been hampered by injuries.
Indianapolis got the better of the Steelers in their Week 4 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium last year, with QB Joe Flacco leading the Colts to a 27-24 win off the bench.
The Colts will be down their top cornerback in Charvarius Ward, who is on IR after suffering a concussion ahead of the team’s Week 6 win over the Arizona Cardinals. But their offense is going to be tough to stop, and with the Steelers defense struggling they have to prove themselves on that side of the ball. It’s no easy task against Indianapolis, and the Colts will be motivated to continue their hot start and build a bigger lead in the AFC.
The Steelers will look to avoid losing at least three straight games for the eighth season in a row and try to stay above .500 and prove they can beat a good team, but Vegas doesn’t foresee the Steelers coming out on top.
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