Steelers open as 3-point favorites for Week 6 vs. Raiders

The Steelers lost for the second straight week. Somehow, they're opening as favorites yet again as well. Despite falling 20-17 against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, Pittsburgh enters Week 6 as a three-point road favorite against the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 13 (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS).

Against the Cowboys, Pittsburgh suffered yet another slow start on offense, with the run game struggling to get going and the Justin Fields-George Pickens connection sputtering. Pittsburgh's talented defense played well below expectations, surrendering the lead late following a 70-yard fourth-quarter drive from Dallas. Pittsburgh hoped to get back in the win column in primetime — instead, they showed off their many issues in front of a national audience.

Pittsburgh has a number of injuries to monitor heading into the week. The team was without running backs Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson, as well as outside linebacker Alex Highsmith , against Dallas, not counting a laundry list of O-linemen on injured reserve. During the game, Pittsburgh also lost outside linebackers Nick Herbig and DeMarvin Leal — it's an incredibly thin positional group at the moment.

However, quarterback Russell Wilson seems close to gaining active status on gameday as he recovers from a calf injury. Given Fields' shaky performance on Sunday, Wilson could be a name to watch as the Steelers' possible Week 6 starter.

As for the Raiders, they suffered an even tougher loss in Week 5, falling 34-18 to the Denver Broncos and dropping to 2-3 on the season. Their quarterback woes make the Steelers' situation look great. Starter Gardner Minshew II was benched after throwing two interceptions — his replacement Aidan O-Connell also tossed one.

Top rusher Ameer Abdullah managed just 42 yards on the ground, although rookie tight end Brock Bowers remains a threat (97 yards, touchdown). On defense, the Raiders allowed three total touchdowns to Broncos' rookie passer Bo Nix.

As for injuries, the Raiders were without several starters on Sunday, including star wide receiver Davante Adams, right tackle Thayer Munford, and running back Zamir White. Las Vegas also lost defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a foot injury during the game. All of those statuses will be important to watch this week, although Adams' availability may be tied more to his relationship with the team than his health.

Here's a full look at the opening odds for Raiders vs. Steelers in Week 6.

Raiders-Steelers odds for Week 6Point spread: Steelers -3 Over/under: 36.5 Moneyline odds: Steelers -164, Raiders +138

It's a little shocking to see the Steelers as three-point favorites on the road following their Week 5 loss, but the Raiders are in a worse spot with even more controversy and poor play at quarterback. Still, given the Steelers' recent performance, betting on them to win feels far from a sure thing. If one thing looks right, it's the 36.5 over/under — Week 6 is not shaping up to be an offensive showcase.