The Pittsburgh Steelers received an unexpected bye week when their NFL Week 4 contest with the Tennessee Titans was postponed. Due to positive tests for the coronavirus among Titans players, the game was moved to Oct. 25. While the Philadelphia Eagles were defeating the 49ers 25-20 on the West Coast, the Steelers were resting in Pittsburgh.

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Pittsburgh is off to a terrific start, opening the season with three consecutive wins. The Steelers are giving up under 20 points a game in a year when scoring is on a record pace. The Steelers' average margin of victory is just over a touchdown during their 3-0 start.

Despite their 1-2-1 record, the Eagles are sitting atop the dismal NFC East, just ahead 1-3 Dallas and Washington. They've given up almost 28 points a game and are averaging only 21 on offense. Until Sunday night's victory, quarterback Carson Wentz looked terrible in his prior three starts.

Betting Lines

The Steelers are seven-point favorites over the Eagles, with Philadelphia paying at +100 and Pittsburgh at -120. The moneyline has the Eagles at +280 and the Steelers at -340 for Sunday's 1 pm ET start. The over/under is at 45 points with both sides of the bet paying out at -110.

Until Sunday's victory, the Eagles had been 0-3 against the spread this season. They were 7.5-point underdogs at San Francisco and came away with an outright win.

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Pittsburgh has managed a 2-1 record against the spread, and it could have been perfect. In Week 2, the Steelers let the clock run out despite having possession inside the Broncos' 10-yard line.

Both of these teams were betting favorites in the first three weeks of the season. The Eagles were picked by many to successfully defend their title in the NFC East. Pittsburgh was an unknown, missing the playoffs the last two seasons and facing the Ravens in the AFC North.

Game Outlook

The Steelers haven't blown anyone out, but they've dominated on the ground, averaging 140 yards a game. They've run the ball on 30 plays a game for an average of 4.7 yards a carry. Their opponents have managed only 54 yards per game and 2.7 yards per carry.

Pittsburgh's opponents are averaging 7.7 yards an attempt in the passing game. That could be because the Steelers have led for most of the season. The Eagles are averaging 5.8 yards an attempt and barely a 60% completion rate.

Opponents of the Eagles have been able to complete 68% of their passes, averaging 7.4 yards per attempt. Against the 49ers, the Eagles' pass defense was much improved. Only the hottest cappers know that Philadelphia allowed a more respectable 6.0 yards per attempt and picked off Niners quarterback Nick Mullens twice.

Neither offense is lighting up the scoreboard, so a game with both teams scoring in the 20s is likely. With a game that is lower scoring, it will be more difficult for the Steelers to cover that 7.5-point spread. 

I like the way the Steelers are running the ball, so with my free pick, I look for them to win the game. However, the Eagles should cover, and the total is still likely to exceed the 45-point posted number.