Atlanta opens at Pittsburgh in the Sunday early window. Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET on FOX, the Steelers are favored by 3.5, and at 42.5 this carries one of the lower totals of the week.
What time is Falcons vs Steelers, and what channel?
Sunday, September 13 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, carried regionally. Out of market viewers need NFL Sunday Ticket.
The matchup
The 42.5 total is the tell. Only two Week 1 games are priced lower, and both involve teams the market expects to grind. A Pittsburgh home opener in September against an NFC opponent is exactly the sort of game that finishes 20-17.
The 3.5 point spread is the most common number on the Week 1 board, shared by four games. It means the market sees a real but modest edge and is charging the standard home team premium on top.
Prediction and odds
Steelers -3.5 and the under. Low totals in Pittsburgh have been a reliable place to be, and Atlanta on the road in a Week 1 opener is not the profile of a team that runs up a score. The concern is the hook: 3.5 turns a three point win into a loss on the ticket.
Our pick: Steelers 22, Falcons 17.
The bottom line
One of the lower scoring games the market expects all weekend. If you want points, this is not the early window game to pick.