Steelers vs. Titans odds: Betting lines removed after COVID-19 concerns

The Pittsburgh Steelers were set to take on the Titans in Tenessee this week, but COVID-19 concerns throw a curveball at Week 4.

After a concerning start to their Week 3 home contest against the Houston Texans, the Pittsburgh Steelers eventually turned things around in the second half – outscoring their opponent 11-0 and closing out a 28-21 victory. This week, Mike Tomlin’s team is preparing for perhaps their most difficult matchup of the sesaon so far, as they look to take down the undefeated Tennessee Titans on the road.

Initially, oddsmakers had the Steelers at 1-point favorites in this contest, courtesy of The Action Network. However, all betting lines were quickly shut down as news of a COVID-19 scare ran through the Titans locker room.

According to reports, Tennessee had eight positive COVID tests show up. That number included both players and coaches:

What happens next for the Steelers?

As of now, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the NFL intends to play the Titans-Steelers game as scheduled Sunday. One of the options the league will be looking into is potentially moving the game to Monday Night.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported earlier today that Titans coaches have told players if they have to go without any work until Saturday, have a walkthrough, and play the Steelers Sunday, then that’s what they’ll have to do.

This situation is very unusual. In fact, it’s the first of its kind in the NFL. After all teams were given the green light to play the first three weeks of the season, there seems to be at least some level of doubt that the Steelers may not be able to suit up on Sunday in Tenessee. The worst-case scenario might be giving these teams an early bye week and trying to match up their schedules down the road. However, this still seems unlikely.

As of now at least, gambling sites aren’t taking any more bets – and it’s not hard to see why. If the Titans are forced to go the week without practicing and preparing for the Steelers and only doing a walk-through before the game, they will be at an obvious disadvantage. As you can imagine, this whole situation has huge implications as to which team should be favored and by how much on Sunday.

One thing we do know is that the Steelers and Titans boast 3-0 records to begin the year. Neither team has blown any of their opponents out of the water in the early going, but they’ve done enough to keep their record spotless heading into Week 4.

I hate to make any sort of prediction at this point. If this contest is played as scheduled, Tenessee will no doubt be at a disadvantage on gameday. Let’s hope things work out and the NFL doesn’t have to reschedule.