The best of the AFC North meets the last-place team in the division this coming Sunday at Heinz Field. Regardless of their records, the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers are always going to make their meetings interesting, based on how much they hate each other alone. Check out our preview of this game below.
The Ravens can consider themselves at least a bit lucky for having the best record in the AFC entering the final month of 2021. For one, their offense hasn’t been up to their high standards of late. Baltimore has won its last two games but scored only 16 points in both. In their 16-10 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 12 at home, the Ravens turned the ball over four times and got a break because their opponents weren’t able to take full advantage of those extra possessions off turnovers and because Baltimore’s defense was up to the task. Speaking of which, the Ravens are ninth in the NFL with just 21.8 points allowed per game and the best in the league when it comes to foiling opponents’ third-down attempts.
Baltimore enters Week 13 with a 9-2 record against the spread in its last 11 games versus teams in its division.
The Steelers find themselves on the bottom of the AFC North after failing to notch a win in any of their past three games. In Week 12, Pittsburgh got destroyed in a 41-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at home. That’s a stern warning to the Steelers that they need to get it together before it gets too late for their chances to make the boat to the postseason. Their defense definitely needs to wake up. The Steelers have given up 82 points in their last two games, and with Lamar Jackson and company coming to town, Pittsburgh’s stop unit has to show up in top form. Baltimore giving the ball away numerous times to the Browns last week offers hope for the Steelers’ defense that is fourth in the NFL in sack rate and 12th against the pass.
The Steelers are 17-4-2 against the spread in their last 23 games as a home underdog.
