NFL Expert Picks, Week 4: Majority of experts are behind the Steelers vs. the Jets

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets are slated to face off in Week 4 of the 2022 regular season, and there are a lot of narratives between these two teams. For the Jets, they will have their starting quarterback, second year pro Zach Wilson, back under center for the first time since early in the preseason. Will he show up, and show out? Or will there be noticeable rust? As for the Steelers, they turn the page to a new quarterback, and a new era of Steelers football. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team, and there remain huge question marks, especially on offense, as they press on into the regular season.

For those who follow the current betting lines, the Steelers opened as 3.0-point home favorites, and, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, that line hasn’t moved since being announced late Sunday evening.

(Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.)

At this point, it is time to check in and see who the pundits, who call themselves experts, like in this showdown in Pittsburgh this Sunday.

For the majority of sites, like ESPN, Yahoo! Sports and SB Nation, the people who do nothing but pick straight up or vs. the spread, the majority of them like the Steelers at home in Week 4. Sure, there are a few outliers who are taking the Jets, but the majority are in with Pittsburgh this Sunday.

Those are sites where people just check a box on a website and move on with their lives. However, there are some who spend more time pouring over these picks, and provide some analysis than just a winner and loser.

For CBS Sports Pete Prisco, he like the Steelers to do enough to win Sunday.

The Steelers will have been rested for 10 days as the Jets come to town. The Pittsburgh offense has struggled in a big way, but this could be the game it gets going. The Jets have issues on defense. Pittsburgh will win it as Mitch Trubisky quiets the Kenny Pickett talk.

Pick: Steelers 24, Jets 17

As for Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News, he too likes the Steelers in the AFC matchup Sunday in Pittsburgh.

It looks like the Steelers won’t get one more shot at old Ravens rival Joe Flacco as Zach Wilson is expected to return and start for New York. The Steelers insist on sticking with Mitchell Trubisky over rookie Kenny Pickett, which gives them the veteran edge, even though a Wilson-Pickett matchup would give this game more of a young QB groove. The Steelers will keep things simple with a rebound outing for the T.J. Watt-less defense and running game to avoid the upset at home.

Pick: Steelers win 23-17 and cover the spread

For BJ Rudell of ProFootballNetwork, he likes the Steelers both vs. the spread, and on the moneyline.

I keep asking this each week: how much longer will Mitch Trubisky be under center? The answer probably is “not much longer,” as their next four opponents will be the Bills, Bucs, Dolphins, and Eagles. Oh, and three of those will be on the road. I predict head coach Mike Tomlin will replace his starting QB during the Week 9 bye.

Of course, it’s not all Trubisky’s fault. Najee Harris (3.2 yards per carry) has regressed behind a porous offensive line — the same line Jaylen Warren has run through quite well (4.7 ypc). This has to be a get-right game for Pittsburgh. Otherwise, for all intents and purposes, their postseason hopes will be dashed.

As for New York, Zach Wilson will make his triumphant return (or at least “a return”) on Sunday. The Jets are similar to the Steelers, in that one “very good” QB could put them on another level. Hopefully, Wilson will be that QB. But one key difference: the Jets’ running game is light years more effective on the ground and through the air. The problem is that Wilson might not be at his best in his first game since last season.

Against-the-spread prediction: Steelers

Moneyline winner: Steelers

These are just a few sites who make weekly NFL picks. When you think about all those sites not listed above, this is when we turn to our friends at NFL Pick Watch, a site dedicated to tracking NFL expert picks by the week. They take all expert picks and put them into an easy-to-read graph for fans to enjoy. When it comes to the Steelers vs. Jets game, a whopping 88% of NFL experts like the Steelers to hold serve and win on Sunday.

What do you think about the upcoming game? Will the experts have it right? Or are they way off? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the Jets in Week 4.