Who will win this Ravens vs. Steelers prediction? On Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will meet for the final time this season in the third and final installment of their great rivalry on Wild Card Weekend. Pittsburgh won the first game and the Ravens won the second matchup. The Steelers come in on a four-game losing streak and are the sixth-seed in the AFC playoffs, while the Ravens, 12-5, come in as the third-seed in the AFC. The Ravens have won four straight games and captured the AFC North crown for the second straight season. The opening kick is scheduled for 8:00 pm EST at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Read on for the prediction of the Steelers/Ravens game and continue to check out our best sports betting promos.
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Pitt hoping to turn things around in playoffs
The Pittsburgh Steelers limp into the playoffs on the heels of four straight losses including a 19-17 loss to the Bengals to close out the season on Saturday. The loss prevented the Steelers from shot at capturing the AFC North Title, clinched by the Ravens with a win on Sunday. The Steelers are also fighting their own recent troubles in the playoffs. They have not won a playoff game since 2016, a streak of five straight losses. They'll have their hands full with a Ravens team that has won five four straight games including a 34-17 win over the Steelers in Baltimore in week 15. Head coach Mike Tomlin knows his team will have to turn the page to be at their best to upset the Ravens on the road.
"It's not about pouting over the last month. It's about this week for us." The Steelers and Ravens are no strangers to each other, having already clashed twice and splitting the series. "We're playing someone that we're highly familiar with." Tomlin said this week.
The Steelers split the season series with the Ravens this season but were a far different team when they defeated the Ravens in week 11 at Pittsburgh, 18-16. Since then, the Steelers have won just two of their final seven games and have watched their offense disappear in recent weeks. The Steelers will be led by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, making his 12th start of the season. He has completed nearly 64 percent of his passes this season for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He was decent in the loss to the Ravens in December, completing 67 percent of his passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns while throwing an interception. He will have a healthy George Pickens in this game and he'll need the second-year wide receiver to stretch the Baltimore defense and give room to the Steelers' running game, namely Najee Harris. Harris finished the season with 1,043 yards rushing and six touchdowns while also grabbing 36 receptions for 283 yards. In all, the Steelers' offense finished the season ranked 16th in the NFL in scoring. They were 25th on the ground and 27th through the air. Their troubles in the red zone could be a major issue against the Ravens. The Steelers ranked just 29th in the NFL in converting red zone opportunities into touchdowns. The Steelers have the NFL's top kicker at their disposal, Chris Boswell. Boswell converted 93 percent of his kicks this season including 13-of-15 from beyond 50 yards.
Defensively, the Steelers remain one of the better units in the NFL. The Steelers finished eighth in the NFL in scoring defense this season. They were fifth against the run but a shaky 25th against the pass. The Steelers are led by linebacker and former Raven, linebacker Patrick Queen. Queen had nearly 130 tackles this season including seven for loss. The Steelers have struggled against the Ravens' ground game this season, allowing 344 yards in the two games at an average of 6.0 ypc. The Steelers pass rush is led by edge rushers TJ Watt and Alex HighSmith. Watt led the team with 11.5 sacks and Highsmith finished second with six sacks. Their ability to create havoc will be critical for the Steelers success in this game. Pittsburgh finished 16th in the NFL in sacks per game and were opportunistic, finished second in turnover margin. The Steelers were 4-3 vs. NFL playoff teams this season but have lost each of their last three games to teams in the playoffs this year.
Key Injuries: DT Cameron Heyward, K Chris Boswell, and TE MyCole Pruitt are questionable. WR Roman Wilson and DT Logan Lee are out.
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Ravens out to avenge last season's playoff run
The Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson are once again primed to make a run at the Super Bowl after having fallen short in each of their previous playoff runs with Jackson at the helm. They come into this year's playoffs as the third seed in the AFC after winning the AFC North Crown and finishing the season with an overall record of 12-5. But, as both Jackson and the Ravens know, the regular season is just an appetizer for the postseason and the two-time NFL MVP will ultimately be measured by the number of Super Bowls he has won. Jackson comes into this season's playoffs with a record of just 2-4 in the playoffs in his career.
"You got to try to be mistake-free," Jackson said about playoff games. "The game's won with the turnover battle and keeping the ball in your control, moving the ball down the field, getting first downs. ... Obviously, that's how you win those games."
Despite already having won two NFL MVP awards, Jackson is arguably coming off his best season ever. He completed 67 percent of his passes this season for over 4,000 yards and 41 touchdowns while only throwing four interceptions on the season. He finished with a phenomenal 119.6 quarterback rating. Jackson continued to show that he is a duel threat, accounting for 915 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. In the latest game against the Steelers, he was 15-of-23 for 207 yards and three touchdowns while throwing one interception. This season, Jackson has a huge helping hand with veteran running back Derrick Henry with him in the backfield. Henry finished the season with 1,912 yards and 16 touchdowns while also making 19 grabs for 193 yards. He closed out the season with 138 yards and two scores against the Browns. In all, the Ravens' offense finished third in the NFL in scoring this season. They were first on the ground and seventh through the air. The passing attack took a hit this week when it was announced that leading receiver Zay Flowers will miss the game due to injury. Still, Jackson has several weapons to choose from including his two tight ends, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. The pair have combined for nearly 100 catches, over 1,100 yards receiving, and 17 touchdowns. The mix of run and pass has made the Ravens the toughest team in the league to stop in the red zone, ranking first in red zone touchdown percentage. The kicking game, once an area of strength, is a concern this season with kicker Justin Tucker in his worst season ever. He has converted just 73 percent of his field goals this year including just 6-of-11 from beyond 50 yards.
Defensively, the Ravens are ranked 9th in scoring defense this season. They allowed a total of 35 points in the two games against the Steelers this season. The Ravens' run defense ranks first in the NFL. They are led by linebacker Roquan Smith and his team-leading 154 tackles including four tackles for loss. Safety Kyle Hamilton might be the overall best defender with 107 tackles, two sacks, nine passes defensed, and one interception on the season. The Ravens' secondary is their shakiest spot, ranked 31st in the NFL against the pass. They are 10th in turnover margin this season and second in sacks per game. Veteran Kyle Van Noy leads the team with 12.5 sacks. One area of concern is in the penalty department. The Ravens are just 30th in the NFL in fewest penalties per game.
Key Injuries: RB Justice Hill is questionable. WR Zay Flowers, WR Deonte Harty, CB Jalyn Armour-Davis, and CB Arthur Maulet are out.
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Best Bets for Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
There is a reason this line keeps sliding up as the week goes by, and that reason is simple: if the seedings were redone at the moment, Baltimore might be considered the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs, while the Steelers would likely be the 7th seed. The Steelers have struggled to make explosive plays throughout their last four games, all losses. They have struggled against quality opponents as well, losing each of their last three games to playoff-bound opponents. That doesn't include a loss to the Bengals, who it could be argued deserve to be in the playoffs more than the Steelers at this point. The Ravens are most vulnerable through the air on defense, but the Steelers just aren't generating big plays. They were without Pickens for three of their four losses, but when he returned against the Bengals, he was completely shut down and couldn't hold onto the ball. The Ravens, on the other hand, are thriving with explosive plays and have done so with a variety of players.
Wide receiver Rashod Bateman is having his best season ever and can more than makeup for the loss of Flowers in this game. Their two tight ends, Andrews and Likely, will cause problems for the Steelers' defense as well. The Ravens ran right at the Steelers' vaunted run defense this season for an average of six yards per carry. The addition of Henry this season has put far less pressure on Jackson to carry the offensive load and has opened up the team's passing game. While Jackson is just 3-5 vs. the Steelers in his career, he's never had the supporting cast that he brings into this game on Saturday night. Look for the Ravens to win this game comfortably and make an opening playoff game statement at the hands of their fiercest rivals.
Take Baltimore -9.5
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
These two teams split the two games this season and split the over/under number as well. For the Steelers to have any shot, as they did in the win over the Ravens in their first meeting, they need to keep this game low-scoring. Unfortunately for the Steelers, they won't be able to contain the Ravens' attack. The Ravens have scored over 30 points in each of their last four games and in five of their last six games. That includes laying 31 points on this same Steelers team in week 15. The Ravens are outstanding in the red zone, first in the NFL in turning those opportunities into touchdowns, and thrive on explosive plays with the likes of Jackson, Henry, and Bateman. The Steelers' only chance in this game will be to try and score with the Ravens and, while I don't think they can keep up to keep it close, they can score enough to help propel this game past the number.
Take the over.
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