Don’t look now, but the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-7) have now won three of four since coming out of the bye week, betaing New Orleans at home and beating Indianapolis and Atlanta on the road. The only setback was a 37-30 home loss to Cincinnati three weeks ago, in a game in which Kenny Pickett hung with Joe Burrow, keeping the Steelers within striking distance until the last minutes of regulation. The Steelers welcome the Baltimore Ravens (8-4) who started 3-3 but have won five of six, the lone setback coming in Jacksonville two weeks ago, as the Ravens blew a double-digit lead in a loss for the fourth straight time. The big news for the Ravens is that Tyler Huntley will be the starting quarterback after the knee injury to Lamar Jackson last week. Let’s look at this AFC North showdown as you plan your NFL betting for this weekend.
NFL Preview: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
(Sunday, December 11)
When: Sunday, December 11, 2022, 1:00 pm ET
Where: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
TV: CBS
Radio: WIP 94.1 FM Philadelphia / WFAN 660 AM New York City
Live Stream: Sling TV
NCAA Odds: Pittsburgh -2.5 / O/U 63.5 // Pittsburgh -140 / Baltimore +118
Why should you bet on the Ravens?
When the line opened, the Ravens were slight favorites, but Lamar Jackson did not practice on Wednesday, and his diagnosis of a sprained PCL makes it likely that Tyler Huntley will start at quarterback. He is similar to Jackson with his dual-threat capability, and the Steelers’ defense will give up lots of yards. We will see what happens on Thursday, but the likelihood of Huntley starting is what has moved the line over to Pittsburgh’s side.
The Ravens’ offense has not been productive recently, even with Jackson on the field. The team only managed 13 points three weeks ago in a home win over Carolina, and while the Ravens managed 27 points against Jacksonville, the Jaguars are not a team that has been stopping offenses. Against Denver, the Ravens only managed 10 points – with Huntley leading the offense for the last three quarters after Jackson’s injury. If you like the Ravens, you see their defense bottling up Najee Harris and frustrating Kenny Pickett more than you see the Ravens’ offense putting up video-game numbers on the Steelers.
Why should you put your money on the Steelers?
Kenny Pickett continues to develop as the next franchise quarterback in Pittsburgh, and he found Connor Heyward for a touchdown in the second quarter after hitting Pat Freiermuth for a 57-yard strike. Pickett went 16 of 28 for 197 yards and that touchdown; even more importantly, he now has four straight games without an interception. That kind of ball security will go a long way for a team that is defense-first and relies on controlling the rhythm in games.
Cameron Heyward had a sack, put a hit on Marcus Mariota and also defended a pass. The defense also stood tall in the fourth quarter, as the Falcons moved within the Pittsburgh 10-yard line but had to settle for a field goal. Minkah Fitzpatrick swiped an interception on the game’s last play to secure the win. The Pittsburgh defense will bend, particularly against the run, but it has found a way not to break quite as often. If you like the Steelers, you see Pickett finding targets down the field and keeping the Baltimore offense off the field.
Final Score and Prediction
Tyler Huntley is a better option than just about all the other backup quarterbacks in the NFL, but the Ravens’ offense has been stagnating since the bye week. I like Pittsburgh to move the ball and deliver a 23-20 win.
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