Where the 16-0 Steelers Would Rank
The Steelers are in a rare position to go 16-0 on the season. This opportunity does not come around often, as only 12 other teams in history have started with this record in the Super Bowl era. However, many experts and pundits still refuse to crown the Steelers the best team in the NFL right now. Many argue that the Chiefs or Saints deserve that honor. Even FiveThirtyEight, the analytical sports giant, has the Steelers ranked as the 17th out of 18 teams to begin 11-0-0, including teams pre-Super Bowl era.
It is safe to say that the Steelers are not demanding the respect that one would expect from a team that has yet to lose a game, 11 games into an NFL season. Especially a team that has beat out several winning teams such as the Browns, Titans, and Ravens. However, how likely is it that the Steelers finish the season with the perfect 16-0-0 record?
Steelers 16-0 Chances
If you are a Steelers fan, then you may be excited to know that DraftKings Pennsylvania has odds for your team to go 16-0. The current odds being offered by DraftKings Sportsbook in the Keystone State is +340 for the Steelers to go 16-0. BetMGM Pennsylvania does not have 16-0 odds but has +600 for the Steelers Super Bowl chances, the same odds as DraftKings sportsbook. This gives us a good indication of where the Steel Curtain lies with the oddsmakers, which would be behind both the Chiefs (+260) and Saints (+550) in terms of odds to win the Super Bowl.
Is 16-0 a Good Bet on the Steelers?
For DraftKings +340 for the Steelers to finish 16-0, what does that exactly imply? Well, on the surface, it is simple; this is a bet for the Steelers to finish 5-0. However, what you are essentially doing is placing a 5-legged parlay on Moneylines for the Steelers to beat The Washington Football Team, Bills, Bengals, Colts, and Browns. That is a lot of wins to hit on against three legitimate AFC contenders and a sneaky game against Washington.
While you might be confident in the Steelers taking these games, I believe that the value is simply not there to bet on them to go 16-0. When you think about what a parlay would come out to if you could get odds on each and every one of these games, I almost guarantee that it would come out to much longer than +340, probably closer to the +500/+600 range.
The Bills, Colts, and Browns all have great shots at beating the Steelers. No matter how confident you are in Big Ben and the defense, teams slip up, and these three teams possess the defense and the firepower on offense to win the game. Not to mention that Washington is always going to be tricky due to the dominant front four and great pass defense.
I would argue that the +600 for the Steelers to win the Super Bowl on BetMGM or DraftKings Sportsbook is a much better bet. The Steelers are going to be in the playoffs and very likely will get that first-round bye. This means that they are only three or four wins away from that Super Bowl victory. While this will be against tougher opponents, that stretch of the Bills, Colts, and Browns is just about as tough as it will get in the playoffs, besides the Chiefs. So, you are basically getting almost twice as good of odds for almost the same exact thing—a 3/4 game parlay of Moneylines against elite opponents.
I believe that the Steelers have an okay shot at 16-0, but the value is not there for a bet at this point in the season.
