Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

The Ravens are heavily favored in their week 16 matchup against the Steelers, with the money line sitting at -279 for the Ravens and +230 for the Steelers. The game, set for Saturday, December 21st at 4:30 ET at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, is crucial for both teams. The Ravens are 9-5 and the Steelers are 8-6, and the Ravens are -6 point favorites on the point spread. FOX is handling the television coverage, and the over/under line is 44.5 points.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS VS BALTIMORE RAVENS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers +6

This game will be played at M&T Bank Stadium at 4:30 ET on Saturday, December 21st.

WHY BET THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

• We have the Steelers winning this one by a score of 24 to 21
• Not only do we have the Steelers winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +6
• Look for this game to go over the line of 44.5 points

Will The Steelers Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs

At 10-4, the Steelers hold a 70.1% chance of winning the AFC North and have already locked up a playoff spot. They rank 9th in our NFL power rankings and sit 3rd in the AFC standings. Pittsburgh is 5-1 at home and 5-3 on the road, including a 3-1 record in division games. Against the spread, they are 10-4, with a +5.1 scoring margin. They are 5-3 as favorites and 5-1 as underdogs.

After winning three straight, the Steelers fell to the Eagles in week 15, leaving them at 10-4. They were 5.5-point underdogs but couldn’t cover, losing by 14. The O/U line was 43, and the teams combined for 40 points, marking the second straight under in Pittsburgh’s games.

Heading into week 16, the Steelers are 17th in our offensive power rankings. They rank 9th in the NFL in points per game (24) and are 17th in yards per game, averaging 325.6. Pittsburgh relies on the run game, ranking 2nd in rushing attempts and 9th in rushing yards per game. On the other hand, they are 28th in passing attempts and 24th in passing yards, with an average of 198.9 per game. The Steelers are 13th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversions, with a rate of 38.9%.

Russell Wilson threw for 128 yards (14/22) and a touchdown in week 15 against the Eagles. Najee Harris had just 14 rushing yards on 6 carries, while Calvin Austin III led the team with 65 receiving yards on 5 catches. Pittsburgh scored 13 points in the loss, with all of them coming in the first half.

In their 27-13 loss to the Eagles, the Steelers’ defense allowed Philadelphia to convert on 58.8% of their third down attempts. The Eagles finished with 401 yards of total offense, with Pittsburgh giving up 270 passing yards and 131 rushing yards on 42 attempts. Philadelphia found success through the air, completing 78.1% of their passes and averaging 8.4 yards per attempt.

Despite the tough game, the Steelers’ defense did manage to record three sacks and had more quarterback hits and tackles for loss than the Eagles.

Are The Ravens Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?

With a 9-5 record, the Ravens have a 99.5% chance of making the playoffs and a 29.9% chance of winning the AFC North. They are 4th in our NFL power rankings heading into week 16. Baltimore is 7-6-1 against the spread, including a 7-5-1 mark as the favorite. Their O/U record is 11-3, with their games averaging 53.6 points per game.

In week 15, the Ravens bounced back from their week 13 loss to the Eagles with a 35-14 win over the Giants. Baltimore covered the 16.5-point spread, improving to 9-5. The combined 49 points in the game went over the 43.5-point line.

Heading into week 16, the Ravens are 2nd in our offensive power rankings, leading the NFL with 424.1 yards per game and ranking 3rd in points per game with 29.9. They are 3rd in passing yards per game (245.6) despite ranking 26th in pass attempts. Baltimore also ranks 2nd in rushing, with 178.4 yards per game on 31.3 attempts per contest.

Lamar Jackson is coming off a 5-touchdown performance in week 15, going 21/25 for 290 yards against the Giants. Derrick Henry rushed for 67 yards on 14 carries, while Rashod Bateman led the receivers with 80 yards and 2 touchdowns on 3 catches. Baltimore converted 9 of 11 third downs in the win.

The Ravens’ defense was dominant in their 35-14 win over the Giants, allowing just 55 rushing yards on 20 attempts. They held the Giants to 181 passing yards and a completion percentage of 59.5%. Baltimore’s defense gave up just one touchdown and limited the Giants to a 16.7% conversion rate on third down.

They also came away with three sacks, one interception, and held the Giants to 236 total yards. The Ravens’ defense was effective in generating pressure, as they had a positive differential in QB hits and tackles for loss.