Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets Prediction, Player Prop Pick: Will Elijah Moore Pop With Zach Wilson?
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets Prediction, Player Prop Pick: Will Elijah Moore Pop With Zach Wilson?
Steelers vs. Jets START TIME, WHERE TO WATCH, AND ODDS
- Date: Sunday, October, 2
- Game Time: 1:00 pm ET
- Where: Acruisure Stadium
- How to Watch: CBS
Click Here for Steelers vs. Jets Odds
The last time the Jets and Steelers played each other, Sam Darnold was throwing touchdowns to Robbie Anderson. Mason Rudolph was also under center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who went on to lose the game 16-10 back in December 2019. So much has changed in the last three years. Ben Roethlisberger's retirement this past offseason signaled a changing of the guard, resulting in Mitch Trubisky being acquired in free agency, alongside first-round draft capital on University of Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett.
The New York Jets also have some positive momentum going in its favor entering this Week 4 matchup. Second-year quarterback Zach Wilson will make his 2022 debut after undergoing minor knee surgery after a non-contact injury in the preseason. He should be an exciting prospect to watch develop with the addition of rookie wideout Garrett Wilson, while Elijah Moore and Breece Hall form a nice tandem of talent.
An over/under of 41.5 indicates that offense may be hard to come by for both teams. So who do we like the most for the best reception total to hit? Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for Sunday's game between the New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers vs. Jets PREDICTION
Joe Flacco was a competent backup quarterback during the first three games for the Jets. He led the team on a late fourth-quarter comeback against a talented Cleveland Browns team on the road, so how much will things change with Wilson back under center?
Elijah Moore was the preferred target for Wilson during their brief time together on the field as rookies. Injuries kept them from growing their sample size but Wilson established his connection in Weeks 12 and 13, as Moore caught ten receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown. Garrett Wilson has stolen the shine from Moore to start this year but that was under Flacco's decision-making. Insert Wilson and the offense could completely change and revert to Moore as the WR1. Even if this doesn't happen, Moore has caught at least three receptions in every game this year and is second in target share amongst Jets wideouts.
Despite the low expected point total in this battle of former AFC contenders, Moore and the Jets wideouts have a great matchup against a leaky Steelers pass defense. Pittsburgh has allowed the 12th-highest passing yards this season (756) and five touchdowns through the air as well. It's an opportunistic defense led by Minkah Fitzpatrick, as they have five interceptions to match, but we're only concerned about Moore's target share and reception total.
He's currently getting -115 to finish with over 3.5 receptions, which has already happened twice this season. When you look at the line for under 3.5 receptions, Moore is also getting equal odds at -115. This indicates that sportsbooks are confident that he'll be involved during Wilson's return. He caught no less than four passes in either game with Wilson during the previous stretch referenced from late last season, forming great chemistry when on the field together.
Yes, Hall and Wilson, the rookie wideout, will be used heavily when attacking Pittsburgh's defense on Sunday. This doesn't mean Moore will be excluded. He's posting a 94.8 percent route participation while ranking first in the league amongst wideouts in routes run with 49 per game. While we don't know exactly how the Zach Wilson experiment will look in his second year, we can be comfortable with Moore reaching at least four receptions by the time the final whistle blows. He's receiving a lot of opportunities within the offensive scheme and it's only a matter of time before he pops to show that there are two alpha wideouts in the new-look Jets offense.
Steelers vs. Jets Pick
- Elijah Moore Over 3.5 Receptions (-115) (Bet $115 to win $100)
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Article Author
Matt is an avid writer, editor, and researcher. He enjoys analyzing the game within the game which is fantasy sports and sports betting. Music is another constant in his daily life. Matt loves spending time with his wife and three pets. He likes to read, listen to podcasts, and is constantly motivated to create the most accurate and engaging content in the sports betting industry.