Baltimore (7-5) at Pittsburgh (10-2)
When: Sunday, December 10th 2017
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Time: 8:30 ET | TV: NBC
Opening Odds: Pittsburgh -7/43.5
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The Pittsburgh Steelers will be playing their third-straight prime time affair when they try and wrap-up the AFC North against their bitter rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers rallied from a 17-3 halftime deficit on Monday night in Cincinnati to defeat another rival in the Bengals 23-20 and can clinch the division and hold onto the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a win at Heinz Field on Sunday night. Pittsburgh will be without a key player on both sides of the ball – injured linebacker Ryan Shazier and suspended wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster – as they seek a season sweep of the Ravens. Baltimore, which was dominated at home by Pittsburgh 26-9 in Week 4, has won three in a row and holds a one-game edge for the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC, one game ahead of three teams. The Ravens seventh ranked defense has stayed strong during the winning streak, but the 30th-ranked offense has picked-up some steam with 23 or more points in each of the wins. The Ravens manhandled the Detroit Lions at home last week 44-20 and will play three losing teams after Sunday to end the season (Browns, Colts, Bengals).
Baltimore boasts three shutouts this season and is allowing an average of 12 points during the three-game winning streak behind a defense that leads the NFL in takeaways (29) and turnover differential (+14). That defense will be missing starting cornerback Jimmy Smith, who was lost for the season after suffering an Achilles injury in last week’s romp over Detroit. Linebacker C.J. Mosley, who had 12 tackles in the first meeting, has suffered a neck stinger in each of his past two games. The Ravens have the 31st-ranked passing game in the league, but Joe Flacco threw for a season-high 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the team rolled up a season-high point total last week. Running back Alex Collins, who ran for 82 yards on nine carries versus Pittsburgh in Week 4, has rushed for four TDs over the past three games.
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Pittsburgh will be without Shazier, who leads the team in tackles and interceptions but underwent surgery Wednesday night for a spinal injury suffered in the last-second win at Cincinnati that seemed to distract the team until the second half. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who struggled in the first meeting against the Ravens, has 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in his last three games. Big Ben has been at his best under the lights. In his last five Sunday night home games, he has a 127.8 passer rating with 21 TDs and three interceptions. Running back Le’Veon Bell, the NFL’s leading rusher, ran for 144 yards and two scores in the first meeting with Baltimore. Wideout Antonio Brown leads the NFL in receptions (88) and has six TDs in a streak of three straight 100-yard games.
The Steelers are one of the hottest teams in the league right now with seven wins in a row, and they’re very tough to beat at home and in prime time. The Ravens have turned things around nicely, but they will be no match for Pittsburgh on Sunday night.
Pick: Steelers -4.5
- Ravens are 3-0-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Ravens are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 vs. AFC North.
- Ravens are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games on grass.
- Ravens are 9-3-2 ATS in their last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Ravens are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Ravens are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Ravens are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
- Ravens are 8-17 ATS in their last 25 games in December.
- Ravens are 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Ravens are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
- Ravens are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
- Ravens are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games in Week 14.
- Ravens are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win of more than 14 points.
- Ravens are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win.
- Steelers are 4-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Steelers are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss.
- Steelers are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games in December.
- Steelers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Steelers are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games when playing on Sunday following a Monday night game.
- Over is 5-0 in Ravens last 5 games in December.
- Under is 4-0 in Ravens last 4 vs. AFC North.
- Over is 5-1 in Ravens last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 4-1 in Ravens last 5 road games.
- Over is 4-1 in Ravens last 5 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 4-1 in Ravens last 5 games on grass.
- Over is 4-1 in Ravens last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 6-2 in Ravens last 8 games overall.
- Over is 5-2 in Ravens last 7 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 7-3 in Ravens last 10 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Under is 34-16-2 in Ravens last 52 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 5-0 in Steelers last 5 games in Week 14.
- Over is 4-1 in Steelers last 5 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Under is 13-4-1 in Steelers last 18 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Under is 13-5-1 in Steelers last 19 vs. AFC North.
- Under is 5-2 in Steelers last 7 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Under is 5-2 in Steelers last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 19-8 in Steelers last 27 vs. AFC.
- Under is 26-11-1 in Steelers last 38 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 7-3 in Steelers last 10 games on grass.
- Over is 9-4 in Steelers last 13 games when playing on Sunday following a Monday night game.
- Under is 35-17-1 in Steelers last 53 games overall.
- Ravens are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
- Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Underdog is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
- Over is 12-5-2 in the last 19 meetings in Pittsburgh.
