The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens will square off in an AFC North Week 18 matchup, with both teams clinging to a playoff spot if things go their way. The Steelers are second in the division with an 8-7-1 record, while the Ravens are third in the division with an 8-8 record.
Steelers at Ravens Betting Preview
Pittsburgh Steelers Preview: Getting Najee Harris Going
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been struggling offensively a bit this season as they are averaging 20.4 points per game on 329.8 total yards of offense.
The Steelers have a solid player in rookie running back Najee Harris as he has 296 rushing attempts for 1,172 yards (four yards per carry) with seven rushing touchdowns as well as 70 receptions for 440 yards (6.3 yards per catch) with three touchdowns.
The Steelers need to showcase the ability to run the football to complement Ben Roethlisberger to get the offense going in his potentially last game in the NFL.
The defense has been playing decently well this season as they are giving up 24.1 points on 379.4 total yards against them. The Steelers have to improve on defending against the opposing rushing attack as they are giving up 139.6 rushing yards.
Linebacker T.J. Watt has been the best player on the defensive side of the field for Pittsburgh as he is leading the NFL with 21.5 sacks, four forced tackles, and six pass deflections.
Baltimore Ravens Preview: Throw it to Andrews
The Baltimore Ravens have been a decent offensive team this season as they are scoring 23.4 points per game on 397.3 total yards of offense. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has been dealing with an ankle injury that forced him out for three full games and most of the Cleveland game four weeks ago, so they are not competing with their biggest player.
Tight end Mark Andrews has been playing well overall as he has 99 receptions on 138 targets for 1,276 yards (12.9 yards per catch) with nine receiving touchdowns.
The Ravens have been playing pretty well on the defensive side of the field as they are allowing 23.5 points per game on 381.2 total yards. The biggest issue is they are giving up 296.4 passing yards per game so far and need to get better play from their depleted secondary.
Linebacker Tyus Bowser has been playing decently well for Baltimore as he has seven sacks with a pair of forced fumbles and four pass deflections this season. If the defense can limit the passing attack, they should be in the driver’s seat.
Who to Bet on Steelers at Ravens
According to the top sportsbooks in the United States, the Baltimore Ravens are currently sitting as 5.5 point home favorites. The health of Lamar Jackson is going to be concerning, but Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for seven touchdowns to three interceptions in his last five games, so these teams are not going to blow one another out here.
The underdog is 21-7-3 against the spread in their last 31 games against one another, so go with the Pittsburgh Steelers to cover the spread on the road in a divisional game.