Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Philadelphia Eagles Expert Pick – December 15, 2024

The stage is set at Lincoln Financial Field as the Pittsburgh Steelers head east on the PA Turnpike to face the Philadelphia Eagles. This highly anticipated matchup features two division leaders with championship aspirations. Both teams enter the game on fire, with the Eagles having won nine in a row and the Steelers victorious in seven of their last eight games. Read Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Philadelphia Eagles expert pick. 

Kickoff

When: Sunday, December 15th at 1:00 PM ET

Where: Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, PA

TV: FOX

The Odds

PA State Championship

The Steelers come into this matchup fighting the injury bug on both sides of the ball. Most notably, George Pickens will miss his second game due to a hamstring injury. Safety Deshon Elliott and DT Larry Ogunjobi are both inactive, which is significant, as both are having stellar seasons. It is imperative that the Steelers start fast and put the pressure on the Eagles early to dictate the pace of the game. The team understands that the primary goal on defense is stopping Saquon Barkley, and T.J. Watt believes they have the formula to do just that.

“I think it’s just gap integrity, guys not trying to do too much, and obviously our offense being able to possess the ball and control time of possession,” said Watt. “It’s kind of a mixture and obviously getting as many hats to the ball as you possibly can. Creating turnovers helps teams not be able to stick to the run, especially later in the game.”

Despite winning last week and nine games in a row, the Eagles have drama brewing as receiver A.J. Brown was frustrated with the lack of targets for him and his fellow receivers. This was exasperated when DE Brandon Graham went on his radio show describing the relationship between Brown and QB Jalen Hurts as fractured. He has since apologized for his comments, but the toothpaste has been let out of the tube (as the Boomers would say)!

“You just keep it in-house, said Cam Heyward. “I know [Brandon Graham]’s been the guy in that locker room that’s kept the group together. He just wants the group to get back on the same page. It kind of got out there-he tried to retract the statement, but it was a little too late.”

It’s hard to argue with the results, as the offense shifted to this style after the Week 5 bye. Prior to that, Hurts dropped back an average of 39 times per game, compared to 27 since the change. It seems Brown is trying to convey that they will need the aerial game at some point to win a championship.

“I said that for a reason, honestly” Brown said. Because we went to the Super Bowl [during the 2022 season] and lost. We tried again the next year. It was a [10-1] record [in 2023] and there was a landslide,” referring to the Eagles losing five of their last six regular-season games before bowing out in the wild-card round. “And here we go again. It’s something that we can correct right now while we have the opportunity.”

Schematics and coaching are going to be a major factor today as Coach Nick Sirianni will need to be more balanced to take down one of the best defenses in the NFL. And the Steelers coaching staff will need to be creative to make up for the loss of Pickens at receiver. Expect to see single high safety looks and man-coverage as the Eagles prioritize stopping the running attack led by Najee Harris.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

The Pick

This is just straight disrespect for the Steelers to be considered heavy underdogs this week against the Eagles. Sure, they haven’t won a game in Philadelphia since Lyndon Johnson was in the White House, and Tomlin is 0-3 in the City of Brotherly Love. But Pittsburgh is perfect against the spread (ATS) as an underdog this season, and quarterback Russell Wilson is a perfect 4-0 in Philly.

Plus, are the Eagles going to win the rest of the season? No way! This is the perfect game for them to lose their winning streak and have something to build on for the last few weeks of the season. Expect Pat Freiermuth to help fill the void left by Pickens’ injury, with over 50 yards receiving and a touchdown. The Steelers take the Keystone Cup 29-20 by holding Barkley to under 100 yards rushing.