Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8 SU, 8-6-1 ATS) will be aiming to keep their faint hopes of a return to the NFL playoffs alive with a third straight victory when they visit the division rival Baltimore Ravens (10-5, 6-8-1) on Sunday Night Football in NFL Week 17 action.

The Steelers eked out a 13-10 win over Las Vegas last weekend to improve to 4-1 SU and ATS over their past five outings, but are not in control of their playoff destiny heading into the second-to-last week of the season. The Ravens locked up a playoff berth with last week’s 17-9 win over Atlanta, taking the pressure off the team to rush injured quarterback Lamar Jackson back into action before the postseason.  

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Steelers vs Ravens Sportsbook Odds

The Ravens have quickly faded to 3-point home favorites since Sportsbook as 6.5-point chalk. The total has also been on the decline, tumbling to 36 after Sportsbook at 42. Sunday night’s matchup at M&T Bank Stadium marks the second and final regular-season meeting between these fierce AFC North rivals.

The Ravens escaped from Pittsburgh with a 16-14 win three weeks ago, snapping a four-game losing streak in head-to-head action. Baltimore has also struggled in recent home dates with the Steelers, losing four of five. Each of the past five clashes involving these teams have been hard-fought, with winning teams claiming victory by a combined margin of 15 points. Low scoring has also been a recurring theme, with the total exceeding 30 just twice during a 4-0 run for the UNDER. 

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Defense Keeping Steelers’ Playoff Hopes Alive

The Steelers successfully overcame an early deficit in last weekend’s date with the Raiders, thanks in large part to another stifling performance by the Pittsburgh defense. Trailing 10-3 at recess, the Steelers held the Raiders scoreless after the break and intercepted Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr three times. That stinginess enabled the Steelers offense to atone for a Kenny Pickett interception and a missed field-goal attempt with a 10-point rally in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Pickett produced mixed results in his return after missing two weeks with a concussion. The rookie pivot tossed for 244 yards, one score and one pick. However, he managed to lead the Steelers attack into the Raiders red zone just once on the day. Further complicating matters for the Steelers offense was Chris Boswell’s struggles on a windy day in Pittsburgh. The Steelers kicker went just 2-for-4 on field-goal attempts and is just 3-for-6 overall in the past three weeks.

On a positive note, neither Najee Harris nor Diontae Johnson showed any lingering signs of recent injuries. Harris racked up 95 combined yards in last week’s win, while Johnson made five catches for 64 yards but still has not found the end zone this season.

Ravens Defense Standing Tall in Jackson’s Absence

With Lamar Jackson on the shelf indefinitely with a knee injury, the Ravens defense needed to step up and the results so far have been impressive. Baltimore turned in yet another stingy defensive performance last week vs Atlanta, denying the Falcons a touchdown on each of their four drives into the Ravens red zone to seal the 17-9 victory.

Sportsbook

Overall, the Ravens have surrendered just three touchdowns and 11.3 points per game while going 3-1 SU with Jackson sidelined. The defense has consistently harassed opposing quarterbacks, allowing just 200 passing yards per game and now ranks fifth in the NFL with 44 sacks, and has remained largely healthy as the regular-season schedule winds down.

However, the offense could use a spark, particularly ahead of what will potentially be an AFC Wild Card Weekend matchup with a high-powered opponent. Tyler Huntley finally threw his first TD pass since taking over in relief of Jackson. However, Huntley has completed a meager 55.3 percent of his passes over the past two weeks. Justin Tucker’s eight field goals over the past four weeks makes him the clear front-runner in scoring over that stretch, while Ravens rushers have failed to score in the past two weeks despite averaging 191 rushing yards per game.

Steelers: Keys to Win

With Jackson on the shelf, the Steelers find themselves in the position of holding the advantage under center in this matchup. However, the team needs far more out of Kenny Pickett if they are to remain in the playoff hunt. The rookie has struggled in third-down situations, with Pittsburgh going 5-for-14 last week. Pickett has also had trouble converting long drives into points, turning just one red-zone march into a touchdown over his past two complete-game outings.

Ravens: Keys to Win

While reports suggest that Lamar Jackson could be ready to return on Sunday, sports bettors should be prepared for Tyler Huntley to once again be under center, That means another big assignment for the Ravens defense, which has given up an average of just 5.5 points in the first half over the past four games. That said, this team could also benefit from another hefty contribution from rusher JK Dobbins, who compiled just 59 rushing yards last weekend after averaging 122.5 yards per game over his previous two outings. 

NFL Computer Pick: Ravens -3

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