It's hard to have much confidence in any Wild Card team playing on the road in Round 1 of the NFL Playoffs. It's even harder to have confidence in a Wild Card team that ended the season on an ice-cold streak. The Pittsburgh Steelers lost four straight regular-season games entering the postseason and hope hangs by a thread.
During this embarrassing four-game skid, Pittsburgh's offense has managed a dismal 14.2 points per game, while getting outscored by their opponents 109-57. In the same span, quarterback Russell Wilson is averaging a despicable 174.5 passing yards per game on 5.6 yards per attempt to go with an 81.2 passer rating and a discussion should be had about turning to Justin Fields in the playoffs.
With how ugly things have been, nobody was surprised to see the Steelers are underdogs this week on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. But Pittsburgh isn't just the biggest underdogs in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, they also have the worst Super Bowl odds among any team—AFC or NFC—who made it to the postseason.
Steelers vs. Ravens odds for Wild Card matchup
When the odds first dropped, the Steelers were 8.5-point underdogs to open Wild Card Weekend in Baltimore. That line quickly shifted to +9.5, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Steelers split with the Ravens during the regular season. But despite this being a divisional game that is typically decided by a field goal, Pittsburgh is the heaviest underdog in the NFL during the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs. Their odds of upsetting the Ravens in Baltimore are even worse than the Broncos' chances of beating the Bills in Buffalo (+8.5).
A convincing upset win over the league's best offense could change the narrative in the Divisional Round next week. However, after losing four straight games, it's not hard to see why Pittsburgh's odds of pulling off the Round 1 upset in the playoffs are so low.
Steelers' Super Bowl odds are the worst among all playoff teams
What's even more disheartening than being the biggest underdogs in the Wild Card round is the fact that Mike Tomlin's team is the biggest underdogs among all teams who made it to the postseason. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Pittsburgh Steelers have +9000 odds to become Super Bowl champions this year.
In comparison, the Detroit Lions have +280 odds, the Chiefs are at +350, and the Ravens odds rest at +600. Even underdogs like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+2500), LA Rams (+4500), and Denver Broncos (+5500) have significantly better odds of winning the Super Bowl than the Steelers.
This is incredibly discouraging for a team looking to avoid an eight-year drought without a single playoff win. Oddsmakers don't view the Steelers as a serious contender, and with Pittsburgh's late-season struggles and awful quarterback play as of late, it's not hard to see why.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.