Steelers vs. Panthers: The Shocking Underdog Twist That Every Fan Missed

You know, we’re all just counting down the days until the NFL’s 2025-26 season kicks off—two weeks away, and honestly, it can’t come soon enough. The preseason is dragging on like a bad Netflix series, teasing us but never quite satisfying that football craving. But hey, every cloud’s got a silver lining, right? At least there’s something to bet on, and I’m putting my money where my mouth is—on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who’ve already shown some grit at 1-1, facing off against the Carolina Panthers, struggling at 0-2 this Thursday. Now, here’s a twist: while most bettors are piling onto the Over like it’s the last slice of pizza, the market’s quietly sliding the total down—what’s up with that? Could it be the starters resting, or is the public just not seeing what’s really happening on the field? We’ll dive deep into the nitty-gritty of defensive shake-ups, offensive woes, and where the smart money should really lie. Intrigued yet? You should be.

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In two weeks, this country will be in a better place since the NFL will start its 2025-26 season. Unfortunately, we are still getting teased by the preseason. Glass-half-full, though: At least we have football to bet on. That said, I’m betting my hard-earned money on the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at the Carolina Panthers (0-2) Thursday. 

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Let’s begin with the fade the public angle. Per BetMGM’s John Ewing, the Over for Steelers-Panthers is the second-most bet total this week in the NFL preseason at BetMGM as of Thursday morning. My guess as to why bettors like the Over here is simply because the “total is too low”. 

However, despite the one-way action towards the Under, the total has gone from 36.5 on the opener to 35 at the time of writing. So, the question is “What is the market backing the Under?” Well, the first thing is obvious: Pittsburgh is resting its key offensive starters, and Carolina is resting all of its starters. 

Again, this is just me guessing, but the public is ignoring this, doesn’t care, or doesn’t know, and is defaulting to the “total is too low” analysis. Also, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced that first-year defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay will play Thursday to develop chemistry. Ramsey is a top 20 DB in the NFL, and Slay is a top cornerback. 

Furthermore, Carolina’s defensive backups should play with their hair on fire Thursday. They have a better chance of earning roster spots because the Panthers’ defense was a joke last season: 32nd in points per game (32.1 PPG) and yards per play allowed (6.0 YPP). Their front office didn’t add much talent on that side of the ball this offseason. 

Finally, Carolina’s offense has been a disaster this preseason. The Panthers lost to the Cleveland Browns 30-10 in Week 1 and 20-3 to the Houston Texans last week. Carolina backup QB Andy Dalton got hurt vs. Houston, and Panthers third-string QB Jack Plummer threw two interceptions when he replaced Dalton. 

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Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever) @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants. Track my NFL 2025-26 bets here.