Ravens vs. Steelers Point Spread: NFL Week 18 Odds, Prediction
AFC North division champions will be crowned when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season finale of Sunday Night Football at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers blew a golden opportunity to claim the division title with last week’s 13-6 loss in Cleveland, which also snapped a three-game win streak that returned them to the top of the AFC North standings.
The Ravens kept their hopes of claiming a third straight AFC North championship alive with last week’s decisive 41-24 victory in Green Bay and can clinch first place in the division and the fourth seed in the conference on the strength of tiebreakers with a win on Sunday night.
The Ravens have emerged as 3.5-point road favourites on the NFL Week 18 odds. The Steelers lag as +165 underdogs on the NFL moneyline and the total is listed at 41.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Steelers have largely dominated the Ravens in recent regular season meetings, going 9-2 in their past 11 clashes, capped by a 27-22 road victory in Week 14. That run includes victories in four of five dates in Pittsburgh, all of which have been low-scoring affairs, with the total failing to reach 40 and the UNDER paying out in totals betting in each of those contests.
The Steelers have also regularly paid out on the NFL odds during their steady run of success versus the Ravens, going 8-3 ATS including seven outright wins as betting underdogs. Overall, the Steelers have been a reliable bet as underdogs this season, collecting four straight up wins in eight outings while sporting positive odds, and have earned the win in five of their past seven home dates.
The Ravens have generates uneven results down the stretch, covering the spread just twice during a middling 4-3 SU run, but have regularly risen to the occasion when playing on the road in primetime, winning nine of 11, with their two defeats over that stretch coming by a combined margin of just four points.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are expected to have Lamar Jackson back under centre when they hit the gridiron on Sunday night. Jackson missed last week’s victory over the Packers due to a nagging back injury that has had a clear impact on his production in recent weeks. The two-time NFL MVP has failed to find the end zone in four of his past six outings, tossing for just three TDs while racking up five INTs over that stretch. Jackson has also been less of a threat as a ball carrier, averaging just 20.7 rushing yards in his past six games that represents a dramatic dip from the 53.8 rushing yards he averaged last season.
However, Derrick Henry has more than picked up the slack. The star rusher ran for a sensational 218 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s win and has averaged 148 rushing yards and tallied six scores over the past three games. Henery has saved some of his best performances of the season for primetime, rushing for 10 TDs and topping 118 yards four times in six appearances and is worth backing as a +375 bet on the NFL player props to score the first touchdown on Sunday night.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers will once again be without their top receiver, as DK Metcalf completes the two-game suspension he was handed for an altercation with a fan in the team’s 29-24 Week 16 win in Detroit. Metcalf was sorely missed by Aaron Rodgers, who failed to find the end zone for just the second time this season in last week’s dismal 13-6 loss to the Browns. Overall, Rodgers has tossed for just four total scores over the past five games, and will not be helped by the frigid conditions that are expected in Pittsburgh on Sunday night, with temperatures expected to dip to as low as -7 degrees Celsius.
While the Steelers passing game has faltered, the backfield has stepped up. Jaylen Warren emerged as one the bright spots on an otherwise forgettable afternoon in Cleveland while rushing for 64 yards and has compiled 207 total rushing yards and two scores over the past two games. Kenneth Gainwell has also turned in some recent clutch performances, particularly while Warren was hampered by injury, racking up over 125 rushing + receiving yards in two of his past three outings.
NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Ravens vs. Steelers?
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BAL
PIT