Jets vs. Steelers prediction: NFL preseason picks, best bets Friday

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The Jets are favored Friday night for some NFL preseason action largely because the Steelers will be without their top two quarterbacks.

Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph will sit, leaving Will Howard and Drew Allar to handle the snaps for Pittsburgh.

That may sound like a problem for the Steelers, but I’m not sure it should be enough to make them a home underdog.

Howard is slated to start, and Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said he wants to “max out the opportunities” for both young quarterbacks, meaning each should get an extended look in the second of three preseason games.

They gave Pittsburgh plenty to like in last week’s 28-9 preseason win over Green Bay.

Allar arguably looked even better, throwing for 153 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers moved the ball consistently throughout the night.

Geno Smith will start for the Jets after he was a late scratch for the preseason opener with a sore ankle, but head coach Aaron Glenn has little reason to push his veteran quarterback if he is anything less than 100 percent.

Cade Klubnik played well in place of Smith last week, though Bailey Zappe threw two interceptions after taking over.

Howard and Allar are inexperienced, but both should get plenty of reps and are coming off strong performances.

In preseason football, quarterback depth matters much more than the regular-season depth chart.

I’ll take my chances with the Steelers plus money at home.

Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.