Steelers' Super Bowl odds see big shift after Justin Fields, Russell Wilson acquisitions

The Super Bowl futures market has been going crazy this week, with the lines spinning at each major free agent move. But the odds on the Steelers got very whacky.

When Pittsburgh agreed to terms with Russell Wilson to kick off free agency, the lines barely budged. They were not impressed when a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback joined a franchise with six Lombardis in the trophy case. However, when the Steelers signed star linebacker Patrick Queen, the line did bounce in Pittsburgh’s favor, but not by much. ESPN noted that sportsbook Fanatics moved the Steelers from 80-1 to 75-1. DraftKings dropped the odds from 75-1 to 65-1. Meanwhile, BetMGM moved from 80-1 to 66-1. Steelers are not anywhere close to being a favorite for the Super Bowl, but it’s an active start.

The line continued to be a bit crazy. Wilson signed Friday and spoke at his introductory press conference. Reports suggested that coach Mike Tomlin told Kenny Pickett, who started the past two seasons, would compete with Wilson for QB1. But Pickett did not like it when Tomlin told him Wilson would get the first chance at the job. So the Steelers dealt Pickett to the Eagles.

What did the Super Bowl odds do? Call it fluid Friday. The Steelers moved back to 75-1.

ESPN surveyed some of the sportsbooks. The Steelers were quite a popular wager. BetMGM and Fanatics reps both said that since free agency week started, people have placed the most money on a bet involving Pittsburgh. The Steelers represented 15.1% of the handle at BetMGM. It was 22.1% at Fanatics. In addition, the team has the second-most tickets at BetMGM at 11.2%. They are No. 3 at DraftKings at 9%. At Fanatics, it’s 10.7%.

“The biggest question mark there is Russell Wilson,” Johnny Avello, DraftKings director of race and sportsbook operations, told ESPN. “Is he an upgrade from what they already had? I guess he might be. We’ve seen some money come in, but we’re just holding the number.”

Then by Saturday night, the Steelers traded a sixth round pick to the Bears for Justin Fields. And at least at DraftKings, there was even more Super Bowl movement towards Pittsburgh. The Steelers finished the night at 50-1.

And if you are curious, the two favorites for the Super Bowl are the Chiefs and 49ers. The two teams played a fantastic game last month, with KC winning in overtime. So why mess with this matchup, especially in March.