Jets vs. Steelers Prediction, Betting Pick, Latest NFL Preseason Odds for Friday, August 21st
The New York Jets will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7 PM ET on Friday, August 21, at Acrisure Stadium in Week 2 of the NFL preseason. Can a Jets offense getting its first look at Geno Smith take advantage of Pittsburgh sitting its veteran quarterbacks? Check out this New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers prediction and best bet for August 21.
Peter Alexis - August 21, 2026, 4:30 PM EDT
4 Minute ReadJets vs. Steelers Prediction: Can Geno Smith Impress in Jets Return, or Will Rookie Allar Steal Show on Friday Night?
New York is a 1.5-point road favorite at -112, with Pittsburgh +1.5 (-108). The Jets are -125 on the moneyline, the Steelers are +105, and the total sits at 37.5. This is a classic preseason matchup where the regular-season quality of the teams matters far less than the dramatically different quarterback and starter plans.
The Jets are coming off a 3-14 season that ended last in the AFC East, while Pittsburgh went 10-7, won the AFC North and then was eliminated 30-6 by Houston in the Wild Card round. Pittsburgh was clearly the superior team last season, but Aaron Rodgers will not play Friday, and Mike McCarthy is also sitting veteran backup Mason Rudolph.
Jets vs. Steelers Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Friday, August 21st, 2026
- Time: 7:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: NFL Network
Jets vs. Steelers Odds
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Jets vs. Steelers Prediction
That leaves Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar to handle the entire game for Pittsburgh. Howard will start after both young quarterbacks impressed in last week's 28-9 preseason win over Green Bay, when they combined to complete 17 of 22 passes for 239 yards. Rudolph had been nearly perfect himself at 10-of-11, but Pittsburgh has already seen enough from him and wants extended evaluation time for Howard and Allar.
New York's plan is much different. Geno Smith is expected to make his preseason debut after sitting out last week's 24-16 loss to Tampa Bay because of ankle soreness, and Aaron Glenn has confirmed that the Jets' starters will play. The first-team offense received only one series against the Buccaneers, but Glenn has steadily increased the workload in practice, with the first units reaching roughly 40 snaps this week. There is no firm game snap count for Smith, but New York should give the starters a more meaningful early look than last Friday.
Rookie Cade Klubnik also gives the Jets an interesting second layer at quarterback. Klubnik started against Tampa Bay and went 5-of-7 for 56 yards while leading two scoring drives before Bailey Zappe struggled later in the game. With Smith getting the opening work and Klubnik positioned for another significant evaluation period, the Jets should have functional quarterback play through a larger portion of the night.
Breece Hall will not play because of a groin injury, but that creates additional work for Braelon Allen after his 31-yard touchdown run against Tampa Bay. New York also has more incentive to see its starting offense produce something after an uneven camp and a preseason opener in which the first unit generated only a field goal before leaving.
Jets vs. Steelers Pick
- Pick: Jets ML (-125) Check out these best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Pittsburgh's young quarterbacks played extremely well last week, so backing against them is not without risk. The difference is that the Steelers are intentionally removing both Rodgers and Rudolph while New York is adding Smith and extending the exposure of its first-team offense. At only -125, taking the Jets outright avoids worrying about a one-point preseason finish while still attacking the playing-time advantage.
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