Steelers vs. Ravens Sunday Night Football betting odds, picks and…

Steelers vs. Ravens Sunday Night Football betting odds, picks and…

With all due respect to Saturday’s high-stakes action, for Sunday evening’s regular-season finale there was only one alternative.

The historic footage of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry isn’t notably grainy, having only begun just before the flip of the millennium, however Baltimore and Pittsburgh’s two battles per 12 months are loaded with lore. A wacky AFC North season needed to come right down to an on-field, win-or-go-home primetime installment, that the soccer world shall be watching.

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Since our consideration shall be captured, we’d as properly have a wager or few on the game, just to see if we are able to’t make some reminiscences for after we look again at this notably intense chapter between these modern-classic foes.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

Baltimore Ravens (-3.5, 41) at Pittsburgh Steelers

Lamar Jackson’ is again working towards in full, one thing that the market anticipated in opening this line at a area aim or more last Sunday evening.

While Baltimore received a big win with Tyler Huntley at the helm in Green Bay last Saturday, their common anticipated play level is clearly increased with Jackson, and it adjustments the projected point unfold from round a decide’em to the place you’re having to put factors with the Ravens on the street. What complicates issues is the level of reliance on the version of Jackson we’ll get — and the way lengthy we’ll get it for.

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Even at the best of occasions for Jackson, the Steelers have been capable of slow the Ravens’ offense during his MVP-caliber seasons:

While the Steelers’ protection has left one thing to be desired this season, at twenty first in Expected Points Added per Play (EPA/Play), in the Week 14 matchup in Baltimore, Pittsburgh’s was third-best, forcing -0.15 EPA/Play, while limiting the harm from Derrick Henry to 94 yards on 25 carries and no touchdowns.

While a few judgement calls went against the Ravens at residence, it was clear that a point unfold of -5.5 gave Baltimore an excessive amount of credit score. Four weeks later, and there’s only been a two-point adjustment to the line for the shift in home-field.

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Part of that could also be stemming from the absence of DK Metcalf — the field-stretcher for Aaron Rodgers — which was felt last week in a loss at Cleveland, and Metcalf had his best game as a Steeler in Week 14. He’s also averaged just 50 yards in his other 14 games this season, and the place the Steelers had been capable of gash the Ravens was when the veteran quarterback was capable of verify Pittsburgh into performs that left the protection confused, leaving wide-open choices.

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All season lengthy, the assumption has been made that the Ravens would finally flip a swap and match their output to their energy rating in the market, however even at their healthiest that hasn’t been the case against other playoff-caliber opponents.

One win, the place the already-clinched Packers weren’t capable of match the Ravens’ desperation and aggression, doesn’t affirm the high-regard that Baltimore carries right here, contemplating they’ve blown fourth-quarter results in the Bills early and the Patriots late.

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Even if the Ravens do handle a 10-point lead on the street, there’s always room for Rodgers to make this game shut late, however it’s more doubtless that we’re in for the typical tightly-contested game that John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin have discovered themselves in for nearly twenty years.

Pick: Steelers +3.5

Player props

Lamar Jackson under 232.5 passing and speeding yards (-115)

We’ve cited the historic numbers for Jackson against the Steelers, and while the names might change on Pittsburgh, the common game plan shouldn’t. While a sore Jackson might give Baltimore a better likelihood to win than Huntley, it doesn’t imply he’ll be freely operating, since he hasn’t performed as a lot of that this season anyway. Plus, there’s always the likelihood that Jackson can’t make it by way of all 60 minutes.

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Jonnu Smith over 2.5 receptions (+100)

Pat Freiermuth was the main receiver for the Steelers with Metcalf unavailable last week, however he was used as a field-stretcher up the center, catching three of 5 Rodgers’ passes. The other big change in personnel for Pittsburgh is the season-ending injury to fellow tight end Darnell Washington. Once he went out Smith grew to become Rodgers’ outlet, catching all 5 targets however for just 12 yards.

Marques Valdes-Scantling longest reception over 16.5 yards (-118)

Throwing situations are never any good in Cleveland in December, however Rodgers tried to get the ball deep down the area to Valdes-Scantling anyway. Despite catching three passes for no more than 9 yards, MVS had a mean depth of goal of 13.0 yards from his team-high 9 targets in the absence of Metcalf. Against the Ravens’ secondary, liable to coverage breakdowns, there may very well be some more success if Rodgers retains trying to stretch the area along with his former Packers teammate.

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Anytime landing

Zay Flowers (+160)

After seven complete touchdowns in his rookie season, it had been a irritating stretch of more than a season-and-a-half for anybody invested in Flowers to score, as he discovered the end zone just 5 occasions in 30 games despite 210 targets and 19 carries, while other lesser-talents had been scoring at an unusually-high fee relative to their total usage. However, Flowers has scored in three consecutive games, including an 18-yard speeding landing, and a mathematically inconceivable stat line is perhaps beginning to right itself.

With a lot consideration anticipated to be paid on Henry after his scoring splurge last week, and the Steelers’ repute for spying properly on Jackson, Flowers ought to discover some single-coverage alternatives against the Steelers’ growing older secondary.

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Kenneth Gainwell (+195)

While Jaylen Warren is the doubtless goal-line choice each week, Gainwell can score in a wide range of methods (4 occasions on the floor and three by way of air), as he’s become a key safety blanket for Rodgers. From a matchup perspective, Gainwell had eight touches/targets in the crimson zone in Week 14 to just two for Warren, scoring on one in all 4 carries, while being a main character in the passing game with seven targets.

Jonnu Smith (+450)

The Steelers have began handing the ball off to Smith, and while I’m unsure what the soccer cause is for this, we don’t argue with the strategy — we just wager it. That evident want to get Smith the ball alone is perhaps sufficient to make them a beneficial long-shot wager, however the accidents talked about above also strikes Smith up the hierarchy for a big-bodied scoring choice for Pittsburgh.

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You can discover more beneficial betting analysis from Yahoo Sports betting contributor, Matt Russell, at THE WINDOW.

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