The Pittsburgh Steelers’ goal of making the playoffs is still alive and well with a terrific win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. This coming weekend, the team has a great chance to further solidify its grasp of a wild card spot by taking on the downtrodden Baltimore Ravens.
However, we all know that every AFC North clash can go either way, especially when it comes to this fan-favorite of a rivalry. Are the Ravens still capable of pulling off a major upset to crush their archenemy’s postseason dreams? Read on as we break down this exciting matchup below.
Line: Pittsburgh Steelers (-10.5) at Baltimore Ravens (+10.5); total: 47.5– view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5)
[sc:NFL240banner ]When the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense gets on a roll, you better have a big lead ahead to keep up with their barrage. The Denver Broncos learned in Sunday’s 34-27 loss that a 17-point lead in the first half can dissipate against the Steelers just as fast as it was built.
As it has been customary of late, the tandem of Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown in the Pittsburgh passing game were virtually unstoppable once again to lead their team to its fifth win in six games. Roethlisberger went 40-of-55 for 380 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, with Brown accounting for nearly half of Big Ben’s production (16 catches for 189 yards and two TDs). The Steelers have now scored at least 30 points in each of those six contests.
Although Pittsburgh’s defense got off to a rough start against Denver, that unit certainly toughened-up in the second half to complement the team’s assault on offense to complete the comeback. The D shutout the Broncos after halftime by holding them down to six punts, one pick and two turnovers on downs over nine possessions.
The Steelers better be careful against the Ravens in Week 16, though. Home field advantages don’t really work in their rivalry, as they have only won three of the last five meetings against Baltimore in Heinz Field.
Then again, this team is a different kind of beast when Christmas is just around the corner. Pittsburgh has won its past 10 games played in the month of December, going a nearly-perfect 9-0-1 against the spread during that span as well.
Create a betting account now to cash in from this sizzling AFC North matchup and all the other great games from Week 16.
Betting on the Baltimore Ravens (4-10)
Not even wearing gold pants for Sunday’s game saved the Baltimore Ravens from their third-straight loss. The team had no answer for the scorching-hot Chiefs, who won their eighth-straight game with a sound 34-14 beat-down of the Ravens.
Baltimore was outclassed on all three facets of that game, with the Chiefs getting two touchdowns apiece from offense, defense, and even special teams.
At least the Ravens found a silver lining coming from late-season free agency pickup Jimmy Clausen’s afternoon in the passing game. Clausen finished with a career-high 281 yards with two touchdowns on 26-of-45 passing, albeit with a pair of costly picks as well.
It’s a good sign that Baltimore’s aerial attack hasn’t let up yet, as the team still currently ranks within the league’s top 10 in passing yards per game. That unit can certainly exploit Pittsburgh’s porous secondary this coming Sunday, one that’s giving up nearly 280 passing yards to the opposition – second-worst in the entire NFL.
To boot, the Ravens cannot be taken lightly by their AFC North foes – they’ll close out their season against the Steelers and the Bengals – even though their campaign has been one that’s best left forgotten. The Ravens have won four of their last six games against any of their division rivals, but the team only went 2-3-1 against the spread during those contests.
Writer’s Prediction
Pittsburgh (-10.5) notches its 10th win of the season with ease, 39-16.
