The Pittsburgh Steelers visit the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon, and the spread has already moved once. New England opened as a 5.5-point home favorite and now sits at -5, a half-point step toward the road team. Pittsburgh arrives 1-0 after a 20-13 win over Atlanta. New England arrives 0-1 after a 13-10 loss at Seattle in which Drake Maye threw three fourth-quarter interceptions. One team won without an offense. The other lost without a fourth quarter. Below we break down where that half-point went, and why the spread and the moneyline are telling different stories.
Last Updated: September 20, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough MA |
| When | Sunday, September 20 – 1:00 PM ET |
| TV | CBS |
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots Matchup Overview
Pittsburgh won its opener, but the box score was not kind. The Steelers beat Atlanta 20-13 while averaging just 2.8 yards per carry, and Pat Freiermuth caught the only offensive touchdown, a six-yard strike in the second quarter. Aaron Rodgers went 24 of 40 for 221 yards and a score. The defense carried it. T.J. Watt logged two sacks and returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, joining Julius Peppers as the only players with 100-plus career sacks and 10-plus interceptions. Through one week, the defense travels and the offense is still a question.
New England’s opener was the reverse. The Patriots led Seattle into the fourth quarter before Maye threw all three of his interceptions in the final period, and a 13-10 loss followed. Through three quarters he was 17 of 22 for 127 yards with a touchdown and no picks. The collapse was concentrated, not systemic. Still, this is a team that reached Super Bowl LX last season and now sits 0-1, with a home crowd expecting a correction and Mike Vrabel looking to avoid an 0-2 hole.
Health matters here. New England placed wide receiver A.J. Brown on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain, costing Maye his top target for at least four games. Tackle Dametrious Crownover (knee) and cornerback Carlton Davis III (neck) did not practice Thursday. Running back TreVeyon Henderson returned to full participation. Pittsburgh had receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) and tight end Darnell Washington out of Thursday’s session, with tackle Troy Fautanu (ankle) and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. limited. Mike McCarthy, in his first season replacing Mike Tomlin, gets his first road test.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | +5 (-110) | +200 | U 41.5 (-110) |
| Patriots | -5 (-110) | -240 | O 41.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of September 20, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NFL Odds – Futures – Props
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Steelers | 63% | 37% | Patriots |
See the latest NFL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
NFL Betting Angle for Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots
The spread opened at New England -5.5 and has settled at -5. The total opened at 42 and now sits at 41.5. Both moves are small, but they point the same direction: toward points coming off the board and toward the visitor. On the moneyline, New England opened -245 and is now -240. Nothing here is dramatic. The market has simply declined to push the Patriots up to a touchdown-adjacent number after an 0-1 start.
The public split is the more interesting read. Sixty-three percent of spread bets are on Pittsburgh +5, and the line has moved with that money rather than against it. That is worth noting, because heavy public action on a road underdog frequently gets faded by sharper money holding the favorite. It has not happened yet. The moneyline, meanwhile, tells a different story. That is a reminder that the two markets attract different bettors.
The case for New England is straightforward. The Patriots are home, they were a fourth quarter away from beating the defending champions, and Maye was efficient for three quarters before the turnovers. Five points is a normal number for a home favorite with a functional offense. The case for Pittsburgh is equally clear. The Steelers have the better defense, Watt is playing at a level that can decide a one-score game, and New England is down its best receiver for a month. A key number sits right here too: five is a common NFL margin, and a half-point either side of it changes the bet’s value more than the price does. Under 41.5 has support from both teams’ Week 1 output. The counter is that two sluggish openers in September are a small sample, not a trend. For more of our game-by-game coverage, see our Lions vs. Bills odds and public betting breakdown.
T.J. Watt Against a Thin Patriots Offensive Line
If this game turns on one matchup, it is Pittsburgh’s edge rush against New England’s protection. Watt opened the season with two sacks and a pick-six, and he did it against a Falcons offense that was not obviously overmatched. New England, meanwhile, is working through line problems. Crownover missed both Wednesday and Thursday practices with a knee issue, and Ben Brown was limited with a knee injury of his own. Pass protection was already a concern coming out of the Seattle game, and the run game did little to relieve it.
That combination matters for the spread and the total. Maye’s three interceptions came in the fourth quarter, after Seattle’s split-safety looks pushed him into longer throws than the offense wanted. A defense that can pressure with four and drop seven creates exactly that problem again. The counterpoint is that Henderson’s return to full practice gives New England a back who can move the chains without asking Maye to hold the ball. There is also recent history to weigh: Pittsburgh won the last meeting between these teams 21-14 at Gillette Stadium on September 21, 2025. That was a different Steelers coaching staff, but the same defensive identity.
NFL Steelers vs. Patriots FAQ: Sunday September 20, 2026
What time does the Steelers vs. Patriots game start?
Kickoff is 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 20, 2026. It is an early-afternoon regional window rather than a national primetime slot, so coverage begins at the top of the hour in most CBS markets. This is New England’s home opener of the 2026 season.
What channel is the Steelers vs. Patriots game on?
The game airs on CBS, carried locally by WBZ-TV in Boston and KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh. Jim Nantz has the play-by-play call with J.J. Watt on analysis and Tracy Wolfson reporting from the sideline. The broadcast also streams on Paramount+ where your local CBS station carries the game.
Where are the Steelers and Patriots playing?
The game is at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Patriots’ home venue. Pittsburgh is the road team. This is the second straight season the two franchises have met in Foxborough, after their September 2025 meeting at the same stadium.
Who won the last meeting between the Steelers and Patriots?
Pittsburgh won the last meeting 21-14 on September 21, 2025, at Gillette Stadium. That was a Week 3 game in the 2025 regular season. The Steelers will try to make it two straight against New England in Foxborough on Sunday.
Who is starting at quarterback for the Steelers and Patriots?
Aaron Rodgers starts for Pittsburgh and Drake Maye starts for New England. Rodgers opened the season 24 of 40 for 221 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta. Maye went 23 of 33 for 178 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions in the loss at Seattle.