The Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers will both have new quarterbacks on the field when they meet in a season opener on Sunday afternoon. Atlanta signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal, while Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson and Justin Fields this offseason. The Falcons are coming off their sixth straight losing season, firing head coach Arthur Smith and hiring Raheem Morris as his replacement. Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin has been at the helm since 2007, making him the longest-tenured active head coach in the league. Wilson was named the starter for Pittsburgh, but he is dealing with a calf injury and is listed as questionable.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Falcons are favored by 3.5 points in the latest Falcons vs. Steelers odds, while the over/under is 42 points via SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Steelers vs. Falcons picks, you'll want to see the NFL predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 181-129 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 35-21 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
The model has set its sights on Pittsburgh vs. Atlanta. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NFL betting lines for spread, money line, and over/under:
- Falcons vs. Steelers spread: Falcons -3.5
- Falcons vs. Steelers over/under: 42 points
- Falcons vs. Steelers money line: Falcons: -188, Steelers: +157
- Falcons vs. Steelers picks: See picks here
Why the Falcons can cover
The Falcons are coming off their sixth straight losing season, but they upgraded their quarterback situation in the offseason. Cousins agreed to a four-year contract following an Achilles injury that ended his final season with the Vikings. He has been among the best quarterbacks in the league for years, so he will be a big improvement for Atlanta's offense.
Cousins has plenty of talent around him, including tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. All three players were top-10 picks in the last three NFL drafts, and Atlanta's defense also took major steps forward last season. The Falcons could be even better on that side of the ball this year, as they added four-time Pro Bowl edge Matthew Judon and two-time Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons. See which team to pick here.
Why the Steelers can cover
Pittsburgh was able to win nine games with Kenny Pickett at quarterback last center, and the Steelers have an upgrade this year. Wilson is expected to start, but Fields is a solid backup plan if Wilson is sidelined due to a calf injury. The Steelers are also going to have a strong rushing attack spearheaded by Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, while Atlanta's front seven is among the worst in the NFL.
The Falcons have some questions offensively with Cousins, who is getting set for his first start after tearing his Achilles. Pittsburgh has dominated this head-to-head series, going 13-1-1 in the last 15 meetings between these teams. Additionally, the Steelers have covered the spread in nine consecutive games against NFC South opponents, and they are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against Atlanta. See which team to pick here.
How to make Falcons vs. Steelers picks
The model has simulated Steelers vs. Falcons 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Falcons vs. Steelers on Sunday, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the Steelers vs. Falcons spread you should be all over Sunday, all from the model on a 181-129 roll on its top-rated NFL picks, and find out.