Ravens vs. Steelers Week 13 Picks: Will Rising Ravens Take This AFC North Battle?
Can the Pittsburgh Steelers upset the Baltimore Ravens and tighten up the AFC North? Let’s take a closer look in our Ravens-Steelers picks.
It kind of came out of nowhere, but the Baltimore Ravens are the new top team in the AFC. Now comes the hard part: Defending their home-field advantage. A date with AFC North rival Pittsburgh lies ahead in Week 13, and it could be a dangerous game for the Ravens.
The Ravens haven’t exactly been world-beaters lately, but they've taken three of their last four games and have lost just three times overall. They’ve covered in two straight contests, but the team is just 5-6 in 2021 against the spread. Baltimore is also 2-3 ATS on the road this season, and 1-3 ATS as the road favorite.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh wasn’t viewed as an elite team prior to this season, but it did pick up four straight wins before a disappointing tie with the Lions in the rain without Ben Roethlisberger. A close loss in Los Angeles fueled hope, but a blowout in Cincinnati crushed that optimism. The Steelers might be below average, and they've covered four spreads all campaign. But they're still right on the verge of the postseason at 5-5-1.
Here are my Ravens-Steelers picks and predictions for this NFL Week 13 matchup (odds via DraftKings, and pick confidence is based on a one-to-five star scale).
Ravens vs. Steelers Game Info
Date/Time: Sunday, December 5 at 4:35 p.m. ETTV: CBSLocation: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PAWeather: Mostly Cloudy, 51 degrees
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Ravens vs. Steelers Odds
This Ravens opened as 2.5-point favorites across the board, but they’ve been bet down to -4 and even -4.5 in some spots. You can still get -4 at DraftKings, Sugarhill, and Unibet.
The total was 45.5 initially, and now most sportsbooks are offering it at 44.
Ravens vs. Steelers Picks
Ravens -4 (-110)Under 44 (-110)
Ravens vs. Steelers Predictions
Ravens -4 (-110)
Both teams have been awful against the spread, making this game feel like an impossible one to call. The Ravens have especially been playing unconvincing football, with Lamar Jackson coming off a four-interception game.
But the Ravens are the clear side to back. Baltimore boasts one of the league's strongest rushing attacks behind Lamar Jackson and a pieced-together backfield, and that unit has absolutely punished some teams. While the Ravens' backfield personnel has changed, the line features many of the same blockers for a group that's been dominating for years.
The Steelers' defense has historically been strong against the run, but it ranks 26th in DVOA on the ground this season and 24th through the air. There's no scenario during which you'd feel comfortable backing their front seven and a banged-up secondary, but this is an especially bad spot.
The Ravens should rely heavily on their rushing attack and come away with a rare cover.
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Under 44 (-110)
The Ravens won't be given a reason to abandon the run during this contest. What they do best will be their focus following Jackson’s horrendous game throwing the ball.
With the Ravens likely to jump out to the lead and control this game, the Under is an easy call. The Under is 6-4-1 over the Steelers’ 11 games, and it's 6-5 on the season during the Ravens' matchups.
Both teams try to control the clock, and each squad has looked inept offensively in recent outings. We'll likely witness a battle in the trenches that sets the game back a few years.
SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.
Ravens-Steelers picks made on 12/2/2021 at 7:45 p.m. ET.
