Here is who national experts are predicting will win the Chiefs-Steelers game
When they face the Chiefs on Sunday, the Steelers will attempt to do something for the first time since Nov. 21: score a first-half touchdown.
Pittsburgh, 7-6-1, has been plagued by slow starts in its previous five games. The Steelers have trailed after two quarters of each game and been outscored 91-19 in those contests.
Will that continue against the Chiefs, who are in search of their eighth straight victory? Here is what 51 pundits are saying about the game, which kicks off at 3:25 p.m.and will be broadcast on KCTV (Ch. 5).
JIm Nantz and Tony Romo will be on the call, with Tracy Wolfson working as the sideline reporter.
A Chiefs victory is the prediction from the New York Times’ Emmanuel Morgan.Here is an excerpt of what he wrote: “During its early-season slump, Kansas City (10-4) spotted other A.F.C. teams some time to cement themselves atop the standings. Instead, the conference collectively allowed Patrick Mahomes and friends to regroup and get to the top spot. The Chiefs’ time as the No. 1 seed could be in jeopardy, though, with Travis Kelce still on the Covid-19 reserve list. Tyreek Hill was cleared to play on Saturday.”
A 31-24 Chiefs win is the prediction from Bill Bender of the Sporting News. Here is a passage from his story: “Pittsburgh has allowed 143.9 rushing yards per game, but will Kansas City stick with the running game around Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams? The Chiefs continue their win streak, but the Steelers hang around.”
The Chiefs will win 20-16 says Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. This is part of what he wrote: “It’s depressing to have takeaways from how COVID outbreaks impact NFL games, but the most obvious ones are that the quality of the missing players matters, and the quantity is important, too. The Chiefs are dealing with both issues.”
The eight writers for CBS Sports all predicted a Chiefs win: Pete Prisco, Jason LaCanfora, John Breech, Jared Dubin, Ryan Wilson, Will Brinson, Dave Richard and Jamey Eisenberg. Prisco predicted a 24-23 final. This is a snippet from his story: “The Steelers are pretty much playing for their playoff lives, which won’t be easy against the best team in the AFC. The Chiefs have played great defense the last five games, which will make it a challenge for Ben Roethlisberger.”
The Chiefs will win, say the two ProFootballTalk writers. Michael David Smith sees a 30-20 score. He wrote in part: “The Chiefs just need to win out to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC. I like their chances.” Mike Florio predicted a 31-20 final. He wrote: “The Steelers cling to slim playoff hopes, and the Chiefs cling to the No. 1 seed. If this game were being played in Pittsburgh, I’d pick the Steelers.”
Each of the eight Athletic writers believe the Chiefs will win: Nick Kosmider, Tashan Reed, Michael-Shawn Dugar, Mark Kaboly, Ben Standig, Jay Morrison, Chris Burke and Katherine Terrell. This is an excerpt from the Athletic story: “The Chiefs don’t play a team currently below .500 the rest of the regular season. But oddsmakers like them to keep up their winning ways.”
Six of seven writers at USA Today picked the Chiefs: Jarrett Bell (27-24 final score), Nate Davis (31-20), Mike Freeman (28-14), Mike Jones (33-25), Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz (28-13) and Lorenzo Reyes (25-18). The pick for the Steelers: Jori Epstein (26-24).
The nine pundits at ESPN see the Chiefs winning: Emmanuel Acho, Matt Bowen, Domonique Foxworth, Dan Graziano, Laura Rutledge, Jeremy Fowler, Kevin Seifert, Mike Clay and Seth Wickersham.
A Chiefs victory is the call from the four Athlon Sports writers: Bryan Fischer, Ben Weinrib, Rob Doster and Aaron Wilson.
A Chiefs win is the prediction from four of five Audacy writers: Jordan Cohn, Tim Kelly, Jesse Pantuosco, and Dan Mennella. Going with the Steelers is John Healy.
Each of the five staff writers at Sports Illustrated picked the Chiefs: Albert Breer, Gary Grammling, Jenny Vrenta, Mitch Goldich and Conor Orr.
