Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Picks, Odds, Props & Predictions
The first two games of the Thanksgiving slate may be a bit underwhelming, but Thursday night brings us a real treat. The undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0 SU, 8-2 ATS) are hosting divisional rivals, the Steelers (6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS), who are trying to bounce back from two consecutive losses. The road team has been more successful, covering the spread in this matchup, going 6-1-1 ATS in the last eight games. The Ravens are currently dealing with several cases of Covid-19 among the players and staff, but unless there are new positive cases, the game should be on.
Line Movement
On November 1st, the Steeler traveled to Baltimore as the +6 underdogs, and now, not a full month later, after some great performances, they opened as -2.5 favorites against the same team. With Pittsburgh receiving a lot of early backing, the line has increased to -4.5 or 5, depending on a bookie. The total is at 44.5 at most sportsbooks.
Notes On The Baltimore Ravens
After looking like a shoo-in for the postseason earlier in the campaign, the Ravens have slipped lately, losing three of the last four games and putting their playoff spot in jeopardy.
Last week, they looked good in the first half against the Titans and managed to keep Derick Henry at just 37 yards before the break. However, they collapsed in the second half, allowing Henry a total of 133 yards including a 29-yard run for a game-winning touchdown. Also, the passing defense was far from perfect, letting Ryan Tannehill throwing for 259 yards and A.J. Brown to run over several tacklers for the crucial touchdown late in the game.
Lamar Jackson still hasn’t found the last year’s form, although he’s been solid with 1948 passing and 575 rushing yards this season. With the rushing offense depleted for Thursday’s game as Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins tested positive for covid-13, Jackson can expect even more pressure in the Thanksgiving matchup.
With two fellow running backs out, we can safely assume that Gus Edwards will take over most of the running duties and we can expect a decent fantasy haul from him. TE Mark Edwards now has two solid games in the row and although he had only 32 yards without the score in the previous Steelers matchup, he’ll have his share of targets and with a little luck get in the end zone.
Notes On The Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh is now on 10 consecutive wins and most of them have been in a very convincing fashion. The Steelers failed to cover the spread in just two games this campaign, making them the most profitable team to bet on. On Sunday, they smothered the Jaguars, allowing them measly 3 points and just 206 yards of total offense. The defense is as good as it was last season, but thanks to having Ben Roethlisberger this time around, they don’t have to spend that much time on the field. Big Ben has deservedly found himself in the MVP conversation and already has thrown for 2534 yards at 67.15 completion and QB rating of 101.4. The running game is working fine as well, led by James Conner who averages 4.4 yards per carrying.
Roethlisberger now has multiple touchdowns in five straight weeks, but this week he’ll most likely be without his favorite target JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster’s absence opens a lot more opportunities for Diontae Johnson and particularly rookie Chase Claypool who has built a great understanding with Roethlisberger and seems to improve with every game.
Week 12 Betting Pick: Baltimore Ravens Ravens +4.5
This is a key game for the Ravens’ playoff hopes, and they will be extremely motivated to get back at the Steelers for the previous loss. We expect a very tight game, and this line may be a bit too high. The underdogs have covered in the last nine out of ten games between the AFC North rivals.
