A pair of unbeaten teams will meet in the preseason finale as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday during the 2023 NFL preseason Week 3 schedule. The Steelers (2-0), who finished 9-8 last season in third place in the AFC North, are coming off a 27-15 win over the Buffalo Bills last week. The Falcons (1-0-1), who were 7-10 and tied for second in the NFC South in 2022, played to a 13-13 tie with Cincinnati in Week 2 of the preseason. Pittsburgh is 8-1 over its last nine preseason games, while the Falcons are 3-4-1 since the start of 2021.

Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh is a 3-point favorite in the latest Steelers vs. Falcons odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 38.5. Before making any Falcons vs. Steelers picks or predictions, you need to see what proven SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White has to say.

Over the past seven years White, a CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor, has gone 376-290-24 (56.5%) in the world's most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest. He also is SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert, going 535-450-30 on his against-the-spread NFL picks from 2017-22, returning $3,532 to $100 players. Moreover, White is on an incredible 53-27-4 roll on picks involving the Steelers. Anybody following him has seen huge results. 

Now, White has locked in on Steelers vs. Falcons from every angle and just locked in his NFL preseason picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Falcons vs. Steelers: 

  • Steelers vs. Falcons spread: Pittsburgh -3
  • Steelers vs. Falcons over-under: 38.5 points
  • Steelers vs. Falcons money line: Pittsburgh -205, Atlanta +170
  • PIT: Steelers are 4-0 against the spread in their last four road games
  • ATL: Under is 5-1 in the Falcons' last six games overall
  • Steelers vs. Falcons picks: See picks at SportsLine 

Why the Steelers can cover

Starting quarterback Kenny Pickett is expected to see action against Atlanta. He has played at least a series in the Steelers' first two games, completing 9 of 11 passes (81.8%) for 113 yards and two touchdowns. In his rookie season last year, he started 12 of 13 games, completing 245 of 389 passes (63%) for 2,404 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed 55 times for 237 yards (4.31 average) and three scores.

Also expected to get a good look is third-round draft pick Darnell Washington. The tight-end from Georgia has played in the first two preseason games, catching two passes for 15 yards, including a long of nine yards. In three seasons with the Bulldogs, Washington was productive, starting 27 of 36 games played. He finished with 45 receptions for 774 yards (17.2 average) with three touchdowns and 35 first-down conversions. See which team to back here.

Why the Falcons can cover

With starting quarterback Desmond Ridder not expected to play against Pittsburgh, Atlanta will get a look at veteran backup Logan Woodside. The sixth-year veteran in his second season with the Falcons has played well this preseason. In two games, including one start, Woodside has completed 18 of 29 passes (62.1%) for 204 yards, including four pass plays of 20 or more yards. In last week's tie with Cincinnati, he completed 4 of 6 passes for 58 yards and a QB rating of 97.9.

Rookie first-round draft pick Bijan Robinson, a running back from Texas, is also expected to see action. He had four carries for 20 yards, including a run of 12 yards against the Bengals. He could see a few more plays this week in preparation for the season opener. Robinson rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons at Texas. In 12 games last year, he carried 258 times for 1,580 yards (6.12 average) and 18 touchdowns. See which team to pick here.

How to make Falcons vs. Steelers picks

White has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning Over the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Steelers vs. Falcons, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Steelers vs. Falcons hits hard, all from the expert who is on a 53-27 run on Pittsburgh picks, and find out.