Week 2 · Sun, 1:00 PM EDT · CBS
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Market line for comparison: NE -4.5 · O/U 41.5 (DraftKings). The model never sees this.
Rating inputs
Each starting rating is a weighted blend of five real football inputs, not just wins and losses. Every term below is measured from the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
| Input | Rating | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
Elo from results 10-7 in 2025, opponent-adjusted | 1523 | 80% | 1218.6 |
Scoring strength 397–387 points (+10.0 differential) → 51.5% expected win rate | 1511 | 5% | 75.5 |
Late-season form same replay with the closing 6 weeks counted double | 1535 | 15% | 230.3 |
Offense / defense split 23.4 PPG scored, 22.8 allowed → offense 1509, defense 1506 | 1515 | 0% | 0.0 |
| Blended 2025 rating | 1524.4 | ||
Offseason regression 25% back toward the 1500 league mean | 1518.3 | ||
Roster / QB adjustment No offseason adjustment applied. | 0.0 | ||
| PIT 2026 starting rating | 1518 | ||
New England Patriots
| Input | Rating | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
Elo from results 14-3 in 2025, opponent-adjusted | 1607 | 80% | 1285.9 |
Scoring strength 490–320 points (+170.0 differential) → 73.3% expected win rate | 1675 | 5% | 83.8 |
Late-season form same replay with the closing 6 weeks counted double | 1641 | 15% | 246.1 |
Offense / defense split 28.8 PPG scored, 18.8 allowed → offense 1645, defense 1605 | 1750 | 0% | 0.0 |
| Blended 2025 rating | 1615.8 | ||
Offseason regression 25% back toward the 1500 league mean | 1586.8 | ||
Roster / QB adjustment No offseason adjustment applied. | 0.0 | ||
| NE 2026 starting rating | 1587 | ||
The calculation
Every term the model applies, in order, from both teams' starting ratings to the number on the card.
Win probability
1 / (1 + 10−(54.9 / 400))
57.8% NE
Model spread
54.9 ÷ 25, rounded to the nearest half point
NE -2.0
Confidence band
Injury adjustment
Report pulled 2026-10-27 13:20 UTCRatings describe a team over a whole season. Who is actually available on Sunday is a separate question, so the injury adjustment is applied last, after home field and rest. Each listed player costs a share of a point of spread based on his position, whether he starts, and how likely he is to play.
Before injuries
59.8%
NE by 2.5
Injury term
−13.8 Elo
−0.6 pts of spread, home perspective
After injuries
57.8%
NE by 2.0 · moved 1.9 pts of probability
Pittsburgh Steelers
−0.3 pts
- Ben Skowronek WROut−0.10
- Brandin Echols CBOut−0.10
- Sebastian Joseph-Day DTOut−0.10
New England Patriots
−0.6 pts
- Carlton Davis III CBOut−0.10
- Alijah Vera-Tucker GOut−0.10
- Marcus Bryant OTOut−0.10
- Ben Brown COut−0.10
Statuses come straight from the league injury report: out and injured reserve count in full, doubtful three quarters, questionable roughly a third, probable a tenth. Starters are identified from the depth chart; anyone the model cannot place is treated as a backup.
Move the factors yourself
Every term feeds one number: the adjusted Elo difference. Drag any of them and watch the spread and confidence follow.
Drag to see how much a stronger or weaker host changes the call.
The two ratings only matter through their difference.
The tuned value is a flat 25 points for every host.
5 Elo per extra day of rest, capped at 25 either way.
A manual thumb on the scale, in the home team's direction.
Win probability
59.8% NE
Model value
Model spread
NE -2.5
Elo diff +68.7 · Lean
Probability curve
The logistic curve from −600 to +600 Elo, home perspective. The dot is your current setting; the faint vertical line is where the model itself sits. Notice the curve is flattest at the extremes — near a coin flip, every point of Elo moves the number most.
Where the ratings came from
Each rating is the end state of a full 2025 season of Elo updates, regressed toward the league mean for the new season.
- 2025 final rating
- 1523.3
- Regress 25% toward 1500
- −5.0
- 2026 starting rating
- 1518.3
2025 Elo trail
Biggest swings
- L 17–31 vs SEA−45.9
- L 7–26 vs BUF−42.7
- L 6–13 at CLE−40.9
- 2025 final rating
- 1607.4
- Regress 25% toward 1500
- −20.5
- 2026 starting rating
- 1586.8
2025 Elo trail
Biggest swings
- W 42–13 vs CAR+49.9
- L 14–21 vs PIT−34.4
- L 13–20 vs LV−31.6
Matchup factors
Everything beyond the two base ratings that moved this specific number.
Home field
+25.0 pts
worth 3.5 points of win probability
NE hosts at Gillette Stadium. Every host gets the same flat 25 points — the model does not rate crowds individually.
Rest
+20.0 pts
worth 2.8 points of win probability
5 Elo points per extra day of rest, capped at 25 either way.
2025 head to head
- Week 3: PIT won 21–14 (NE at home)
Strength of schedule
Who each team actually played in 2025, measured by their opponents' current ratings. This is context for reading the ratings — it is not an input to the prediction above, because beating good teams already raises a team's Elo more.
1506
average opponent rating · 10th toughest of 32
- vs above-average teams
- 4-4
- vs below-average teams
- 6-3
1477
average opponent rating · 30th toughest of 32
- vs above-average teams
- 4-2
- vs below-average teams
- 10-1
What the model does not know
- · How an injury actually plays out — the adjustment above prices availability, not how well a replacement performs.
- · Coaching and roster turnover between seasons.
- · Weather, travel distance and short-week fatigue beyond raw rest days.
- · Anything a betting market has priced in since the season ended.