Pittsburgh Steelers vs Philadelphia Eagles odds, picks, line and spread - August 12 | NFL preseason 2021

The Pittsburgh Steelers started their preseason with a 16-3 win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Hall of Fame Game. They will look to carry that teensy bit of momentum back to Pennsylvania when they face their state rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, in the first week of the preseason.

There's nothing to suggest these teams will be similar in 2021, apart from playing so close to each other. While the Steelers are aiming for one more ring with Ben Roethlisberger, the Eagles hit the reset button after a dreadful 2020 season and fired head coach Doug Pederson. They also traded franchise quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts to cut the ribbon on the rebuild.

Battle ready 😤#HereWeGo | How to watch/listen: https://t.co/ysC5OjZoCH pic.twitter.com/lQXNqsLX8V

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 12, 2021

Pittsburgh will push for one last time. Philadelphia decided enough was enough.

The Eagles failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four years and had all sorts of trouble inside the organization, especially after they drafted Jalen Hurts in 2020. The friction between Pederson and Wentz became impossible to hide, and general manager Howie Roseman wasn't the most popular figure in the locker room. Roseman somehow survived 2020, mainly because of his relationship with owner Jeffrey Lurie, but others didn't have the same luck.

The Steelers were the last unbeaten team in the league with an impressive 11-0 streak to start the year. However, it was clear their record was a fluke, and they lost their air of invincibility against a weak 4-7 Washington Football Team.

Washington Football Team v Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh's offense was downright bad, while the defense, an elite unit for most of the season, suffered a huge drop in production following Bud Dupree's ACL injury that made him miss the rest of the year. The Steelers' season came to a melancholic end against AFC North rivals Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field.

#Eagles QB Jalen Hurts says his top priority is to be efficient during team’s first preseason game Thursday vs. Steelers. pic.twitter.com/UVsGWruzmZ

— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) August 10, 2021

Now entering the 2021 season in completely different phases, the preseason Week 1 matchup will give both the Steelers and Eagles opportunities to gauge their quarterback situation. Jalen Hurts is projected to play a series or two with the starting unit, while Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins will keep fighting for the QB2 job.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles: Betting odds

The Philadelphia Eagles will enter their first preseason game of the 2021 season as a mere -0.5 favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The over/under for this game is 36.5 points.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles: Picks

Look for the Philadelphia Eagles to win this game by a small margin as they'll see their starting offense play some drives and try to get into a rhythm with new head coach Nick Sirianni.

The Steelers, though, don't need to use their starters in more than one drive in this game, especially following Chase Claypool's scare last week against the Dallas Cowboys. They have nothing to prove by winning a game in August.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles: Money line

Pittsburgh Steelers (-110)

Philadelphia Eagles (-110)

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles: Spread

Like most preseason games, this will be a low-scoring game with a small margin for the winner.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the advantage, having already played a game, which will mean they aren't quite as rusty heading into this fixture. On the other hand, this game is way more important for the Eagles, who are equipped with a new coaching staff and a young quarterback along with a number of uncertainties.

With such a small spread, look for the Eagles to cover the -0.5 point spread and win this game.