NFL Preview: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Saturday, December 21, 2024
The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) and Baltimore Ravens (9-5) have another installment of their historic rivalry coming up on Saturday, December 21 at 4:30 PM ET at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens are favored at home with a point spread at -6.0 (-115).
Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Preview
The Steelers have gone 3-2 over their latest five-game stretch, with a recent 27-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. This defeat snapped their two-game win streak and their second loss in this stretch of games where they allowed more than 20 points.
Their offense became stagnant in the second half, as they could not produce a single point to combat the Eagles. Russell Wilson completed 14 of his 22 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. The running game was fairly weak, as they were led by Najee Harris who had six carries totaling 14 yards.
The Eagles posted 401 yards and 26 first downs, while the Steelers could barely muster anything. They had 163 yards and 10 first downs, which shows how bad it was on offense for them.
Despite their recent poor performance, the Steelers have averaged 24.0 points a game and rank 10th in the league. Defensively they have allowed 18.9 points a game and rank sixth. This is a comfortable position to be in, assuming their offense does not suffer another game like they did against the Eagles.
Baltimore Ravens Betting Preview
The Ravens have also gone 3-2 in their latest five games, posting a 35-14 victory over the New York Giants recently. This put them back on the winning side after losing to the Eagles (24-19) the week prior.
The offense was particularly on point in this matchup, posting a 21-7 lead going into the half for a good sign of things to come. Lamar Jackson only missed four of his 25 attempts and totaled 290 yards with five touchdowns. Rashod Bateman received three passes that amounted to 80 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ravens almost doubled what the Giants put up in yards at 445 and had six more first downs at 25. While this is appealing, the Giants have all kinds of issues on both sides of the ball and they will have a tough test against the Steelers.
The offense ranks third in the league at 29.9 points per game, while the defense comes in at 22nd with 23.7 points allowed a game. This shows a positive correlation, but they must buckle down on defense.
Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick
Check out the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens betting odds offered through MyBookie, which show the Ravens as six-point favorites. Market predictions estimate that the Ravens have a 66.7 percent chance of winning.
The Steelers are 5-3 on the road and the Ravens are 4-2 at home. The Ravens have typically played well at home and they have great momentum.
Final Pick: Baltimore Ravens -6.0 (-115)
