TJ Watt injured his pectoral muscle in Week 1 of the current NFL season. His team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, was still able to get a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
However, the injury to Watt, the league's prominent defensive player, had a terrible effect on the outlook of Pittsburgh's season. News on Tuesday is positive for the Pittsburgh side as they cling to hopes that maybe they can contend for a playoff spot in 2022/23.
ESPN headlined "Source: Pittsburgh Steelers LB T.J. Watt doesn't need surgery, expected to miss six weeks" on September 13th. Reportedly, surgery will not be needed for Watt to get back into play.
Pittsburgh Steelers Not Favored This Season
The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the season without much in terms of expectations. They lost their long-time quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, to retirement over the offseason. Mitch Trubisky is their go-to QB now but it's not clear how he will perform this season after some disappointments in the past.
But the road win against Cincinnati, the defending conference champions, had opened some optimism for the club. The Steelers stifled Joe Burrow on Sunday, claiming four interceptions en route to their 23-20 victory.
Betting Odds for the Steelers
The Steelers' next game is on Sunday when they host the 0-1 New England Patriots. The game is considered a coin toss by betting odds, with bet365 making Pittsburgh the slightest of underdogs at 21 to 20 (+105; 21/20). The win total for Pittsburgh is still low for the season. The same firm has Pittsburgh's OVER/UNDER for wins this season set at 7.5 despite the 1-0 record and 16 games remaining.
