Two of the NFL's most historic franchises will battle in the Steel City as the Packers take on the Steelers in Week 10. It's a matchup normally made for prime time, but no one wants to watch Jordan Love and Kenny Pickett any more than they already have to. In the end, the jerseys might look the same, but the players are different and the game won't have the same vibes.
Super Bowl XLV is quite the afterthought now, especially after Aaron Rodgers' offseason departure punched enough holes in the Packers' cheese to make it Swiss. That popular dairy treat is now symbolic of a group that's left to build for the future, suddenly with more questions than answers for the first time in a long time.
There's an eerily similar reality in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers are stuck in the middle with an offense that isn't good enough to compete but a defense that is. The NFL's changing of the guard is on full display on Sunday in the Keystone State, and the public being down on these offenses has given us a few props to target before kickoff.
That's why we're headed over to our friends from Sports Interaction, who we hope will still want to be friends after we take their money by the time the 4 p.m. ET games kick off.
MORE: Bet the Packers-Steelers game on Sports Interaction now!
Best Packers-Steelers prop bets Week 10
Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction
1. Luke Musgrave, TE, Packers — OVER 2.5 receptions (-135)
The Steelers' pass rush is as advertised and needs no introduction. T.J. Watt is a one-man wrecking crew and is one of the reasons -- if not the only reason -- why the Steelers have five wins in eight games. Jordan Love will be tasked with solving that problem, something he hasn't been equipped to handle since taking over the starting job this season. As a result, we're looking for players who can help settle the QB down and counter the pressure that will pose problems. Enter the rookie Musgrave, who has hauled in three catches in three of the past four games. For a team that struggles to get its receivers involved, the tight end has been able to benefit, becoming a security option for Love in the passing game. The juice is a little more than we'd like, but the catches should be coming early and often against a defense that has seen tight ends hit the OVER in four of the past five games and six-of-eight overall this season.
2. Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers — OVER 60.5 receiving yards (-115)
Pittsburgh's offense might be struggling, but we know for a fact that Johnson isn't. All he's done is produce since returning to the lineup three weeks ago. The receiver is averaging just under 85 yards per game in that span to go along with over 6.7 catches on 9.7 targets. Last week, he even found the end zone for the first time in two years. Johnson is on a roll and typically tough to slow down, especially playing in an offense that is only acknowledging one WR at the moment. The Green Bay secondary has been one of the lone bright spots at times this season, but the volume is too high to pass up Johnson right now. Not even ear plugs or warnings from Apple can get us to turn it down and reverse course. Confidently hammer the OVER here.
3. George Pickens, WR, Steelers — UNDER 41.5 receiving yards (-110)
As we just alluded to, there is only room for one receiver in Matt Canada's offense right now, and Pickens is not that guy. The second-year receiver tried his best this week to ruffle some feathers by taking his frustrations to social media, posting "Free Me" on Instagram. Unfortunately for him, we aren't so sure that Mike Tomlin will be one to oil the squeaky wheel against the Packers, especially while the team is winning. There are still plenty of problems to solve if the Steelers truly want to make a run this season, but Pickens has seen the food on his plate stolen by Johnson. Since No. 18 returned, Pickens has totaled just eight catches in three games, including just three in the past two. Pickens famously couldn't get his second foot down for a touchdown against the Titans, a game in which he totaled -1 receiving yards, and is clearly frustrated. The receiver has a 50-percent hit rate on this number this season, but that drops to just 25 percent with Johnson in the lineup. We think it will be more bust than boom in Week 10 for a player who needs an explosive play right now to get anywhere near the OVER.
4. Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Packers — OVER 1.5 receptions (+115)
Just like Musgrave, we're going a little deeper into the depth chart to find a receiver who's flying under the radar. Wicks has seen four targets in each of the past two games and has recorded at least two receptions in both games. Better yet, Wicks owns the lowest average depth of target (11.3 yards) out of all the regular Packers WRs and TEs not named Musgrave. Love told The Packers Wire and ESPN La Crosse 105.5's Paul Bretl earlier in the week that Wicks is a "shifty guy" who creates separation. He added that the receiver is someone he'll be trying to continue getting the ball to in the future. Although he's WR4 on the depth chart, there will be plenty of chances for the rookie to find at least two catches against a struggling secondary.
