Will the Ravens live up to their role as favorites?
AFC North playoff battle – let’s go! We have already seen this game twice this season and the two duels were very different. The first was a really close battle, the second a demonstration of power by the Ravens. What does that mean for our Ravens vs. Steelers tip for Saturday night?
Baltimore are the big favorites here and the handicap even increased over the week from -8 to -10 points. Understandable when you consider the last strong Ravens performances and the stumbling of the Steelers.
However, it is the playoffs now and, similar to the DFB Cup in soccer, they always have their own rules. And here, the Ravens also stumbled from time to time. Since Lamar Jackson took the helm in Baltimore, they have only won two playoff games.
So for Ravens vs. Steelers, our prediction is a game that the Ravens should win in the end, but in which the Steelers will be able to keep up for quite some time. This could also be thanks to some longer field goals, as they have the best kicker of the NFL season in their ranks.
Kickoff of this playoff game between two AFC North teams is on Saturday night at 2:00 a.m. in Baltimore. The game can be followed live on RTL and DAZN.
Baltimore Ravens – Statistics & current form
Is this finally going to be the Ravens’ year? The franchise has been in the Super Bowl window for a few seasons now, but they have never made it to the final. Yes, they have not even made it to the Conference Championship game since then.
This season, they are again considered one of the top favorites, but they have the misfortune that with the Bills and the Chiefs, two other top favorites are on their side of the playoff bracket. The Steelers, in any case, should not spoil their party.
They already played against Pittsburgh at home in M&T Bank Stadium three weeks ago and it was a clear-cut game, 34-17. They controlled the game on the ground with 220 rushing yards and that should be the goal again on Saturday.
They have averaged the NFL-leading 187.6 rushing yards per game and Pittsburgh’s defense has not looked as strong as it did at the beginning of the season. We would not be surprised if Derrick Henry were to put in another outstanding performance here and gain over 120 rushing yards.
Thus, for Ravens against Steelers, the betting odds on a touchdown by Henry are an initial betting tip that can also be combined with a Ravens victory.
Tips on Baltimore an option
In general, bets on the Ravens are of course an option in this matchup, although the handicap beyond -10 points is difficult to play. We would therefore rather combine this option with over-points or with a TD bet on Henry.
Another option is field goal betting. The Steelers have Chris Boswell, the kicker who has converted the most field goals this season, and the Ravens have icon Justin Tucker. For Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh, a bet on over 3.5 field goals is therefore a top alternative.
Key Players:
- QB: Lamar Jackson
- RB: Derrick Henry
- WR: Zay Flowers
- TE: Mark Andrews
- K: Justin Tucker
Pittsburgh Steelers – statistics & current form
How good is this Steelers team right now? Arguably no team is more elusive than the team of head coach Mike Tomlin. While they were an extremely difficult team to play against halfway through the season, against whom even the Ravens had their problems, now, of all times, just before the playoffs, they seem to have lost their form.
So they come into this Wild Card game with four losses in a row. Their narrow defeat against Cincinnati has also ensured that they have drawn the toughest possible lot in this round. This could once again be a short interlude for Pittsburgh in the post-season.
Steelers with offensive problems
In the last four games, the Steelers actually failed to cross the 200-yard line twice. By comparison, the Ravens ran for 220 yards against the Browns alone last time out. But Pittsburgh stayed under the 200 mark against both Philly (163) and Cincinnati (193).
Of course, you can’t win games like that, even if your defense holds up. But even that was no longer a given towards the end of the season. They allowed an average of 26.8 points over their last six games and that’s likely to be the number again against Baltimore.
No option on Steelers
26.8 points conceded on average last and offensively their last four point values were: 13, 17, 10 and 17. That does not suggest a close game on Saturday, which makes the odds on the Steelers in any variation unbeatable against Pittsburgh.
Even with the current handicap of +10 not, although that is already set very high. So high that it also makes tips on Baltimore more difficult, which is why we would go for the alternative tip “Over 3.5 field goals”.
The Steelers have the kicker of the season in Boswell. And Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has been a bit weak this season, but in the playoffs he has always been a very reliable kicker in recent years – in fact, one of the best in the league.
Key Players:
- QB: Russell Wilson
- RB: Najee Harris
- WR: Courtland Sutton
- TE: Pat Freiermuth
- K: Chris Boswell
Baltimore Ravens – Pittsburgh Steelers Direct comparison / H2H record
Another reason why the odds for Ravens vs. Steelers at Ravens -10 are not at the top of our list is the direct comparison of recent years. For a long time, the Steelers were Lamar Jackson’s kryptonite, with eight wins in the last ten direct encounters.
However, the Ravens were able to break this series three weeks ago with their 34-17 home win. Nevertheless, the Steelers often manage to present Jackson with problems, especially as a runner, which could lead to a somewhat closer game on Saturday.
However, the Steelers will not win just because the Ravens also have Derrick Henry on the ground this season. He was able to rush for 162 yards against Pittsburgh in the last meeting, which shifts any predictions in Baltimore’s favor against Pittsburgh.
Baltimore Ravens – Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Tip
The Ravens can only beat themselves here, which they have done several times in recent years under John Harbaugh. In this respect, handicap tips on them are a tricky proposition, especially in the playoffs.
A field goal bet helps us out of a tight spot. In the preseason, Justin Tucker scored two field goals in the wild card round. And the Steelers are the team that scored the most field goals this season, which makes a bet on over 3.5 field goals in the Ravens vs. Steelers game an excellent choice.
Our only player bet is a prediction of a touchdown by Derrick Henry. He has scored 16 touchdowns this season and should be Baltimore’s number one scoring option again on Saturday.
