Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7-1) vs. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
January 9, 2022 1:00 pm EDT
The Line: Baltimore Ravens -4 ; Over/Under: 42
(Get latest betting odds)
The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers clash Sunday afternoon in week 18 NFL action from M&T Bank Stadium. Pittsburgh is coming off a Monday night game versus Cleveland. In that one, the Steelers pulled off a nice 12-point division victory. As for the Ravens, they’re sitting at 8-8 this year and fresh off a loss to the Rams. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place.
Pittsburgh has had quite the rollercoaster season in 2021. The Steelers started at just 1-3, then hit a 4-0-1 streak to get back above .500 on the year. a 2-4 stretch came after that with losses to the Chargers, Bengals, Vikings and Chiefs.
In the Monday night game versus Cleveland, Pittsburgh had a 13-7 lead going into the fourth quarter and were able to power out the 26-14 victory. Ben Roethlisberger finished on 123 yards, one TD and one interception. Najee Harris rushed for 188 yards and an exclamation-point touchdown late in the game.
Over on the Ravens’ side, they’ve been a mixed bag as well. Baltimore started out on a solid 6-2 clip, but the wheels have fallen off over the last five games. Those outings have been losses to the Steelers, Browns, Packers, Bengals and Rams.
In the Rams game last weekend, the Ravens had a 16-7 lead going into the final quarter. Baltimore was outscored 13-3 from there in a tough 20-19 defeat. QB Tyler Huntley put up 197 yards with a pick, and Devonta Freeman rushed for 76 yards on 14 carries.
The Steelers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven versus the AFC and 14-6-3 ATS in their last 23 in January. Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS in their last five on turf.
Meanwhile, the Ravens are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 at home and 5-2 ATS in their last seven overall. Baltimore is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 versus the AFC North.
PICK: I’m going to stick with the Steelers. The last time these teams met up back on December 5, Pittsburgh pulled off an improbable 20-19 win with 17 fourth-quarter points. It was a low-scoring game for the first three quarters, and given these teams’ history I think this one will be another close battle. Baltimore hasn’t scored more than 22 points in seven of their last eight games, so if Pittsburgh can keep the defense tight I like them to hang around in another gutsy effort. Should be a tight, smash-mouth game as usual and a fun one to watch.
