Can the Steelers win the fifth duel in a row against the Ravens?

There will be an exciting duel in the AFC North next Sunday. The Steelers host the Ravens at Heinz Field Stadium and there is a lot at stake.

While the home side are looking to turn things around, the visitors are struggling with minor issues. If we look at the odds before the clash between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, the host also seems to be favoured for this reason.

With three wins from the past four games, Pittsburgh has returned to the race for the NFL playoffs. Their chances of making it in are slim, but still there. With the Ravens likely to be missing their quarterback in Lamar Jackson, a sixth win of the season does not seem unlikely for the hosts. Therefore, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, the bookmakers’ betting odds also point to a home win.

The focus in this game is Najee Harris, who is one of the strongest players on the side of the hosts. In the last three games, the running back scored three touchdowns and was thus in excellent shape. If the Steelers are to crack the Ravens defence, Harris will have to deliver. Since we believe in his ability, we recommend betting on a touchdown by running back Najee Harris between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. He is currently listed as questionable, but is very likely to play.

Pittsburgh Steelers – Statistics & current form

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in twelfth place in the American Football Conference. Mike Tomlin’s team has only five wins from the first twelve games. The Steelers are in last place in the AFC North and would need a miracle to make the playoffs. With Pittsburgh playing the Baltimore Ravens twice more, there is at least a chance of making the playoffs. For that to happen, however, the Steelers would have to win at least four of their remaining five games.

Kenneth Pickett continues to have deficits

Mitchell Trubisky lost his regular spot after just five games and that was despite two wins. Since then, Kenneth Pickett has been on the field and still picked up three wins from seven games. Still, the Steelers have one of the weakest offenses in the NFL, averaging just 17.8 points per game. The change of starting quarterback has therefore not brought the desired success. When the team becomes dangerous, it is through the running game.

Pickett has his share of that, as the quarterback has already scored three rushing touchdowns. The most dangerous player on the field, however, is running back Najee Harris. With a total of 671 rushing yards, he ranks sixteenth in the league and has also scored six touchdowns. Without him, the season would almost certainly be over for the Steelers. In the game against the Ravens, he will certainly play a leading role again.

Defensive Problems

The Steelers are conceding an average of 23.1 points per game, so they aren’t particularly strong in that category either. Especially against the passing game Pittsburgh has big problems and is lucky that Baltimore rather shines through strong running game. Against the run game, the Steelers are very good and only allow 107.6 rushing yards. With Lamar Jackson out, the Ravens’ running game is also weakened, so Pittsburgh shouldn’t allow too many points.

Key players for the Pittsburgh Steelers:
QB: Kenneth Pickett – RB: Najee Harris – WR: George Pickens – FS: Minna Fitzpatrick – K: Matthew Wright

Baltimore Ravens – Statistics & Current Form

The Baltimore Ravens are in third place in the AFC. That sounds quite comfortable at first, but behind them lurk the Cincinnati Bengals. Both teams have eight wins and are fighting for the first place in the AFC North. After the loss to Jacksonville and the narrow win against Denver, the Ravens seem to be stumbling. Thus, making the NFL playoffs will be difficult, especially since Lamar Jackson will be missing for the time being.

Tyler Huntley must take over

Lamar Jackson was injured in the game against the Broncos, so Tyler Huntley got his first start of the season. With only a few seconds left in the game, he scored the decisive touchdown with a run and helped the Ravens to victory. However, he is not an equal replacement for the starting quarterback, even though he is a similar type of player. Already in the preseason Huntley had to step in for five games and could only win one of them.

With 23.8 points per game, the Ravens are one of the better offenses in the NFL, but without Lamar Jackson, some quality is lost, especially in the running game. In the passing game, Baltimore is one of the weakest teams and even the new quarterback will not be able to change that. It would therefore not be surprising if the Ravens were to fall short of their scoring average in the game against Pittsburgh. Especially since the Steelers are very decent against the run game.

Save defense?

Defense could be the key for Baltimore in this matchup. The Ravens are allowing an average of just 19.7 points, making them one of the better defensive lines in the NFL. Since John Harburgh’s team is excellent against the run, the Steelers will also have problems scoring. Thus, it portends to be a defensive battle and, as a result, a low-scoring game. Pittsburgh cannot exploit the weakness against the passing game due to their own weaknesses.

Key players of the Baltimore Ravens:
QB: Tyler Huntley – RB: Kenyan Drake – TE: Mark Andrews – FS: Marcus Williams – K: Justin Tucker

Pittsburgh Steelers – Baltimore Ravens Head-to-head comparison / H2H record

The head-to-head comparison between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens goes to the hosts. The Steelers won 32 duels against the Ravens and only had to leave the field as a loser 24 times. And also in the recent past Baltimore seems to have big problems against Pittsburgh. The Steelers currently have four wins in a row. In addition, the direct comparison also points to a game with few points, because in the last three duels never more than 39 points were scored.

Pittsburgh Steelers – Baltimore Ravens Tip

Between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, our prediction points to a low-scoring game. The hosts have no particular strengths on offence and are far too dependent on running back Najee Harris. But the visitors will also not be able to put up their usual offensive game without Lamar Jackson. The line of under 39.5 points has a lot of value and has never been broken in the past three duels between these two teams.

Overall, the momentum seems to be on the Steelers’ side. With three wins from the past four games, the team is in good shape and should therefore have confidence. In the direct comparison Pittsburgh stands at four wins in a row and especially in their own stadium a victory of the home team does not seem improbable. Especially without Lamar Jackson, the odds on a home win seem very interesting