Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens Betting Picks, Odds, Lines & Predictions
In probably the biggest game of week 8, Baltimore (5-1 SU, 3-3 ATS) will host Pittsburgh (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) in a battle for the AFC North top spot. The Steelers are undefeated so far and failed to cover the spread in just one game, but going to the M&T Bank Stadium, they’ll likely face the sternest test so far.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens Betting Odds, Spread & Line Movement
The week opened with the Ravens as decisive favorites, with the -5.5 points in their favor, but as plenty of early action went against them, the line now stands at -4 at the pay per head bookies. The total line has also shrunk, from 49 a couple of days ago to 46.5 where it is at the moment.
Thoughts on Pittsburgh Steelers Beating The Baltimore Ravens
After surviving the late scare last week against the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers turn their attention to their AFC North rivals and a game that can be a deciding factor in shaping this year’s AFC playoffs. They are not only without defeat, but have looked pretty good on both sides of the ball so far, Roethlisberger’s three interceptions last week notwithstanding. Big Ben’s poor performance only gave a chance to the defense to prove that it can carry the team when their offense is having a bad day, even without star linebacker Devin Bush.
Ben Rothlisberger only had one game without multiple touchdowns this season and, even though the Ravens have one of the league’s top defenses, we can see him bringing plenty of fantasy points this week, too.
Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster had the most targets against the Titans, and with the Pittsburgh Steelersstill managing Jonhsons’s load, it may be time for Smith-Schuster to explode after failing to score in every game since Week 3. Chase Claypool great performances have drawn more attention from the opposition’s top defenders and he had just one catch for -2 yards last week. We can expect this to continue against Baltimore and, even though we can expect him to have more great games in the future, it’s best to leave him out of your lineup this week.
Thoughts on The Baltimore Ravens Defeating The Pittsburgh Steelers
The Ravens entered the season as one of the Super Bowl favorites and have mostly put up performances worthy of that tag so far. Still, their passing game leaves a lot to be desired, and they will have to improve their attack through the air if they are to get anything against the tight Pittsburgh rushing defense. We’ll see if that defense will be able to stop Lamar Jackson who had over 50 yards on the ground in four of the last five games. The Ravens are coming off a bye and have managed to cover the spread in only four games out of the last seven in that situation.
We said that Pittsburgh excellent against rushing, but Lamar Jackson’s mobility will certainly cause them problems. Jackson has been dealing with the sore knee, but if he’s fully fit, we can expect a decent fantasy haul once again. With veteran RB Mark Ingram also struggling with an injury, J.K. Dobbins will get a chance to be more involved and could have a surprisingly good game, although we wish that this opportunity came against an easier defense.
NFL Week 8 Betting Pick Steelers +4
We should be in for an entertaining and tight game on Sunday, and we can see the Steelers coming out on top. The Ravens have been fine so far, but are nowhere near the dominant force they’ve been last season. The Pitt’s rushing defense will force them to use the passing game more and that should put them out of their comfort zone.
