The Pittsburgh Steelers upset the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, but oddsmakers don’t expect the Steelers to start a winning streak. Heading into a Week 10 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, the Steelers are consensus 3.5-point underdogs, per VSiN.
The Chargers are coming off a win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, but it came at a cost, as star LT Joe Alt suffered another ankle injury, which should knock him out for next week and beyond. Los Angeles boasts a strong passing attack with QB Justin Herbert, and while WRs Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey had been carrying the load, Herbert has found a new weapon in rookie TE Oronde Gadsden Jr. becoming a featured part of the Chargers’ offense in recent weeks.
The key for the Steelers is going to be continue their defensive momentum they started to build with their performance against the Colts. They did a good job containing Tyler Warren, and they’ll have to do so again against Gadsden. Los Angeles has also gotten healthier on defense in recent weeks, with the return of EDGE Khalil Mack and LB Denzel Perryman. The team also acquired EDGE Odafe Oweh in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens earlier this season.
While the Steelers are on the road, traditionally, Black and Gold fans have taken over LA and made it a home environment. However, the Steelers lost to Los Angeles the last time they played the Chargers at SoFi Stadium, falling 41-37 in 2021. They did beat the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in 2023, though. In the matchup between the Steelers and the Chargers at Acrisure Stadium last season, Pittsburgh got the better of Los Angeles with a 20-10 win in Week 3.
The Steelers’ offense was a little bit bumpy against the Colts, and Aaron Rodgers admitted that the group needs to be better. If the offense and defense can play complementary football, as they did today with 24 points off turnovers, the Steelers will have a chance to pull off the road win.
The Chargers are 6-3 and have two common opponents with the 5-3 Steelers. They beat the Minnesota Vikings 37-10 last week but lost 34-28 to the Colts in Week 7. A cross-country road trip for a Sunday Night Football game will certainly test the Steelers, especially against a strong Chargers team. But today’s win could give the Steelers some confidence and momentum despite entering as underdogs.
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