Here Are The Patriots' Odds To Beat The Steelers In The 2026 Home Opener

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The New England Patriots are looking to rebound from their heartbreaking loss in the season opener this Sunday as they welcome an AFC rival to Foxborough for their home debut.

The 0-1 Patriots will take on the 1-0 Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium for an afternoon Week two matchup.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, New England is a 4.5-point favorite against Pittsburgh. Traditionally, home teams are usually handicapped three points in matchups that are not considered one-sided toward one team. The Pats were 3.5-point underdogs in their Super Bowl rematch last week against the Seattle Seahawks and almost won outright until they ultimately blew a double-digit lead thanks in large part to three fourth quarter interceptions by quarterback Drake Maye. However, they still managed to cover the point spread falling short by a final score of 13 to 10.

Sunday’s game carries some significance as it is quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ final career game against the Patriots. The future hall-of-famer announced that 2026 would be the final season of his decorated career. Rodgers has a record of four wins against three losses against the Patriots throughout his time with the Packers, Jets, and Steelers. The most recent matchup came in Week three of last year in which the Steelers took down the Patriots at Gillette by a score of 21 to 14. Consensus belief is that New England outplayed Pittsburgh on that day, however five turnovers by the Pats made it impossible for them to overcome. However, that loss directly preceded a 10-game winning streak.

Despite losing top wide receiver A.J. Brown for the foreseeable future to a high-ankle sprain, the Patriots are on track to add second-year speedster running back Treveyon Henderson to the lineup after he missed Week 1 due to an ankle injury. On the defensive side, cornerback Carlton Davis did not practice all week due to a neck injury, however he is only listed as “questionable” to suit up on Sunday.

“Don’t assume (he will be out) but he will be questionable. We’ll have to see how he comes in here tomorrow,” Head Coach Mike Vrabel said in a press conference on Friday. “We will continue to evaluate, and if the designation changes we’ll update everybody.”

Vrabel’s playing career started with the Steelers when he was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft and spent his first four seasons there before signing with New England as a free agent. He and his players will look to prove that the Seahawks' loss is an outlier and that the team can return to 2025 regular season form.

How To Watch The Game

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

Network: CBS

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub