Mason Rudolph and the Pittsburgh Steelers will head to M&T Bank Stadium to take on division rivals the Baltimore Ravens.
Pittsburgh has a chance to win its third game in a row and sweep the season series against Baltimore. The Steelers have won six of the last seven contests against their AFC North rivals.
With the No. 1 seed already clinched, Baltimore is expected to rest many of its starters, including MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson.
Let’s take a look at the NFL Week 18 odds and our predictions and best bets for Steelers vs Ravens.
Steelers vs Ravens Odds
NFL odds used for this Pittsburgh vs Baltimore preview were found at DraftKings Sportsbook and are current as of Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Steelers (-185) • Ravens (+154)
- Spread: Steelers -3.5 (-108) • Ravens +3.5 (-112)
- Total Points: Over 36.5 (-108) • Under 36.5 (-112)
- Implied Score: Steelers 20, Ravens 16.5
Steelers vs Ravens Predictions
Score Pick: Steelers 26, Ravens 18
Pittsburgh’s offense has miraculously found itself after statistically being one of the worst for most of the season.
The Steelers just scored 30 or more in back-to-back games for the first time this season, and they are doing it with their third-string quarterback.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has found a way to guide his team to yet another winning season and will have an outside chance of making the playoffs depending on particular scenarios.
First and foremost, the Steelers need a victory, and they can get one here. Pittsburgh is one of the Ravens’ three losses on the season, defeating the 13-3 squad 17-10 in Week 5.
George Pickens got the best of Baltimore’s secondary the first time these teams met, and the second-year receiver has quickly built rapport with his new starting quarterback. Rudolph and Pickens have connected 11 times for 326 yards and two touchdowns over the last two games.
The Steelers’ resurgence on the ground is another thing to note heading into this game. Najee Harris’ 122-yard, two-touchdown performance against Seattle last week was a big part in Pittsburgh taking a key game on the road. The dangerous combination of Harris and running back mate Jaylen Warren will be key in this game – and if the Steelers eventually find themselves in the postseason.
With so many question marks surrounding who will dress in purple, the Steelers will take this one handily.
Head coach John Harbaugh has no reason to risk injuring any of his key players, and it would be shocking to see any of the Ravens’ big names take the field at any point in this game.
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley is expected to get the nod at quarterback after not seeing the field much this season. The former Pro Bowler entered the game during the 56-19 blowout against the Miami Dolphins and threw a 19-yard touchdown with his lone completion.
The Steelers have all the motivation in the world to come out and win this game. Tomlin’s squad has looked phenomenal in its last two games, and it’s hard to imagine that stopping all of a sudden against a Ravens team that will feature mostly backups.
The Ravens will try to spoil their rival’s chances of seeing the playoffs, but Pittsburgh will find a way to win on the road.
Steelers vs Ravens Best Bets & Props
Steelers -3.5 (-108)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 2 units
We’ve already discussed the 180-degree turn we’ve seen from the Steelers’ offense over the last two weeks. Despite having to select their third-string quarterback, Pittsburgh has looked as competent as ever during Rudolph’s two starts.
With 865 yards of total offense in their last two games combined, there’s no denying the Steelers have clicked on that side of the ball. The team seems to be putting more of an emphasis on getting their playmakers the ball, and there’s no question it has worked.
Additionally, the Steelers’ defense has continued to come up big when needed most and trails just the Ravens in turnover differential.
Pittsburgh managed to hold Baltimore to just 10 points in its first meeting, largely by forcing three turnovers by Harbaugh’s squad.
The Steelers can finish this game with a comfortable lead, and that’s why Steelers -3.5 is my NFL bet of the day.
Over 36.5 (-108)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1.5 units
The books have the total fairly low for Steelers and Ravens teams that scored 30 and 56 points, respectively, last week.
This has to do with the circumstances surrounding this game, but these teams can surpass this total fairly easily.
I am clearly high on Pittsburgh’s offense, which has scored 64 points combined over its last two games.
For Baltimore, it is hard to imagine its offense will have anywhere near the success it has had with Jackson calling the shots. However, that’s not to say Huntley won’t give a Pittsburgh defense that has allowed nearly 20 points per game some trouble.
Huntley has plenty of experience filling in for Jackson and will surely try to make life difficult for a division rival that needs a win to get in the playoffs.
Steelers Over 21.5 (+124)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
We will continue to ride the hot hand for our third and final best bet with Steelers Over 21.5 points. Getting this point total at plus money seems wrong based on what we’ve seen over the past two weeks.
Baltimore has had the best defense in the league this season in terms of points against, but it is unlikely we see any of the key players who made that possible.
The Ravens have a number of big-name defensive players listed on the injury report, including Marlon Humphrey and Patrick Queen, who will likely see little to no game time in the final week of the regular season.
Pickens and the Steelers’ offense should have no trouble exposing the Ravens’ backups en route to another big day for the unit.
Steelers vs Ravens Same-Game Parlay
Steelers vs Ravens SGP (+370)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 units
- Ravens Over 10.5 (-285)
- Over 34 (-158)
- Steelers -6 (+124)
- Steelers Over 21.5 (+124)
We applied the logic discussed in our prediction to create this four-leg, high-odd Steelers vs Ravens Week 18 same-game parlay.
In order to reach the +370 odds, we made sacrifices on both sides utilizing DraftKings’ alternate selections. For instance, Ravens Over 10.5 with -285 odds helps counteract the alternate Steelers spread and Over 21.5, which both have plus odds.
Finally, I decided to go with the alternate point total of just 34, as the odds are still below -200 but will almost certainly hit should our predictions hold true.
