ROTY Bettors Won’t Be Happy With Steelers QB Kenny Pickett’s Debut
Pickett received 10.1% of the preseason bets
Kenny Pickett made his NFL debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. It wasn’t great.
Trailing the New York Jets, 10-6, at halftime, the Steelers decided to make the switch over to Pickett from the struggling Mitchell Trubisky.
The crowd at Acrisure Stadium finally got their wish in seeing Pickett after clamoring for the No. 20 pick to make his debut each of the last two weeks. The rookie trotted onto the field after halftime, and despite leading the Steelers to a run of 14 unanswered points, he showed exactly why Pittsburgh chose to go with Trubisky as the starter for the first month of the season.
Picket completed 10-of-13 passes for 120 yards but turned the ball over on each of his three incompletions, including the first pass attempt of his NFL career.
With the NFL season four weeks in, the likelihood Pickett — and his 0-to-3 touchdown to interception ratio — ends up in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year is looking slim. Bad news for some NFL bettors, who made him their choice to take home the award.
Pickett received 10.1% of the total preseason bets and 12.8% of the total preseason money on the award, per BetMGM data analyst Drew O’Dell. At 12.8% of the handle, Pickett led all rookies. Now, the likes of New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (+400) and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London lead the way, with Green Bay Packers? Romeo Doubs (DraftKings +800, BetMGM +900), New York Jets? Garrett Wilson (+1200, +900) and Washington Commanders? Jahan Dotson (+1400, +1400).
