Pittsburgh Steelers vs San Francisco 49ers Prediction: Will the Forty-Niners be able to handle the Steelers on their field?

One of the most successful NFL franchises in recent years, the San Francisco 49ers will start the new season with a road game against Pittsburgh. Will the Forty-Niners be able to handle the Steelers on their field? Note that the Steelers took the two previous games in Pittsburgh from the 49ers.

The Steelers failed to make the playoffs for the first time in three years. And, unsurprisingly, Pittsburgh's longtime quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, ended his career. The team's new primary playmaker is Kenny Pickett, the 20th pick of the 2022 draft out of Pittsburgh's college. The rookie's first season was not the most convincing, resulting in Mike Tomlin's team being only 26th in offensive efficiency with an average of 18.1 points per game.

In the 2023 preseason, Pittsburgh had three wins, reminding us that defense is just as important as offense - 27:17 over Tampa Bay, 27:15 over Buffalo, 24:0 over Atlanta.

Unlike their rival, the Forty-Niners made the playoffs at the end of the past regular season. Moreover, the team reached the conference finals for the second consecutive season, losing to Philadelphia. And San Francisco could use a rookie at the quarterback position - Iowa State's Brock Pardy, the 262nd pick of the 2022 draft, replaced Jimi Garoppolo in the championship game. Pardy will also start in the first game of the new regular season.

In preseason games, San Francisco has losses to Las Vegas (7:34) and Los Angeles Charges (12:23) and a win over Denver (21:20).

San Francisco finished the previous championship as the league's best defense with an average of 16.3 points allowed per game. Pittsburgh closed the top 10 with a 20.4 points per game conceded. We bet on a low-scoring game and a Pittsburghf win simply because the Steelers have no less chance to win here than the Forty-Niners, and the odds are much higher.