Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Point spread: Pittsburgh -3 Over/Under: 42.5 |
The lead in AFC North will be on the line this Sunday night when the Baltimore Ravens face-off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in one of the most heated rivalries in the NFL. The kick-off for this one is set for 8:20 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.
If there ever was game that Baltimore needed to win, it would be this Sunday night. It sits at 5-2 straight-up (4-3 against the spread) and can not only take the outright lead in the division with a win, it can also secure the primary tie-breaker for the playoffs having already beaten the Steelers 35-7 on opening day as a one-point home favorite.
If the Ravens are going to have any chance to pull-off the rare sweep of their arch rival, they will need a huge effort from Joe Flacco and their offense. This unit is ranked 14th in the NFL overall and seventh in scoring, but struggled with consistency all season long.
Pittsburgh is also well aware of the importance of this game. At 6-2 SU (4-4 ATS), it knows that a victory on Sunday night would position itself perfectly for another run at a division title over the second half of the season.
The Steelers come into this game with a ton of momentum after knocking-off New England 25-17 last Sunday as a rare three-point home underdog. Despite the huge win, this team has to be a bit concerned with its inability to put teams away when they have the chance. The problems are mainly on offense, where it has struggled to score at times and is averaging just 22 points a game.
The Ravens are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following an ATS loss. The total has stayed ‘under’ in nine of their last 14 games against the AFC North.
The Steelers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win. The total has gone ‘over’ in five of their last seven games against the AFC North.
Head-to-head in this series, Baltimore is 2-5-1 ATS in the last eight meetings and the total has gone ‘over’ in six of the last eight games played in Pittsburgh.
You can rest assured that the opening day beatdown remains fresh in the Steelers’ head as they even the score with a big win of their own at home. You can track the line movement of this game all week long at BetAnySports.com.
The Free Pick: Pittsburgh 24 Baltimore 13
