The Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to face the Baltimore Ravens on the road to close out play on Sunday night in Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season.
The game was flexed to prime time earlier this week.
Baltimore was a 6-point favorite when odds first were posted for this AFC North game in May, but now the Ravens are 3-point favorites at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and PointsBet.
This is a rematch of their Week 14 meeting in Pittsburgh, which the Ravens won 16-14 as a 2-point underdog. That’s the Steelers’ only loss in their past five games.
Steelers vs. Ravens Betting Lines: Point Spread, Totals, Moneyline
Here are current odds from top US sports betting apps. It’s always recommended to shop around various sportsbooks to find the best prices for your bets and to take advantage of multiple sportsbook bonuses.
Where the Steelers, Ravens Stand Heading Into Week 17
Baltimore (10-5 straight up/6-8-1 against the spread) clinched at least a wild-card playoff berth last Saturday with its 17-9 victory against Atlanta and is a game behind defending champion Cincinnati in the division race with two weeks left in the season.
If the Ravens win their final two games, which includes a road game against the Bengals in the season finale, they’d take the North title. Baltimore currently holds the fifth playoff spot, one game ahead of the LA Chargers.
Pittsburgh (7-8 SU/8-6-1 ATS), meanwhile, is one game behind Miami (8-7) for the final AFC wild card but also trails three other teams (via tiebreakers) that are stacked at 7-8. But if the Dolphins beat New England on Sunday afternoon, the Steelers would be eliminated from the postseason equation before they take the field later that night.
Pittsburgh’s playoff chances can be summed up this way: They are listed at +1500 to make the postseason at PointsBet.
With Jackson out, Tyler Huntley has guided the Ravens to a 3-1 record, including finishing the 10-9 victory against the Broncos with a last-ditch 91-yard TD drive, but the team has topped out at 17 points in his starts. In Jackson’s absence, Huntley and his backup, Anthony Brown, have directed Baltimore on 32 full possessions (that weren’t cut short at the end of a half) and the team has scored only three touchdowns. In the 11 games Jackson started before getting hurt, the Ravens totaled 28 offensive TDs.
At least their rushing game has prospered of late with the return of RB JK Dobbins (knee), who’s averaged 94.7 yards and 7.5 a carry in his past three games. Included was a 120-yard performance and a TD in the team’s victory over Pittsburgh and its sixth-ranked rush defense. In that outing, Baltimore generated 215 rushing yards, the most the Steelers have given up in a game. Pittsburgh’s average yield in all other games has been 97.5.
Pittsburgh’s ground game also has picked up, averaging 139.5 yards in its past eight outings, which would rank ninth over the course of a full season. But the Steelers will be up against the league’s third-stingiest rush defense, which is giving up 87.5 a game.
One more thing: In Baltimore’s 15 games, only four times has the point total been Over, tied for the fewest by any team this year. Pittsburgh has gone Over in six of its 15 outings.
Steelers vs. Ravens Injuries
The Ravens’ hopes down the stretch and in the postseason hinge on the return of QB Lamar Jackson from a knee injury that occurred four weeks ago early in their home game versus Denver. Head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday regarding Jackson’s status this week, “We’ll just have to see.” Since the Ravens already have secured a playoff berth, Harbaugh might choose to give his star QB more rest and have him ready to go in the wild-card round.
Two of the team’s most productive wide receivers are on IR: Devin Duvernay and Rashod Bateman. And a pair of defensive stalwarts are listed as questionable: DT Calais Campbell (knee) and star CB Marcus Peters (calf).
SNF Prediction
The gamble inside the gamble is that Jackson will sit out once more and maybe play next week against Cincinnati if there’s a chance to beat out the Bengals for the division crown.
That means more Huntley and that means, among other things, that All-Pro TE Mark Andrews likely will continue to be less than effective. Over the past three games without Jackson, he’s caught only eight of 18 targeted throws for a total of 93 yards and no scores.
As for the Steelers, they continue to play hard after starting out the season 2-6 and this time against Baltimore will have QB Kenny Pickett back in the lineup. He suffered a concussion early in their previous meeting and was replaced by Mitch Trubisky, who threw three INTs.
Speaking of interceptions, in last week’s emotional 13-10 home win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Steelers intercepted Derek Carr three times. That gives Pittsburgh a league-best 17 INTs entering Week 17.
Even if they have been eliminated from playoff contention, the Steelers have been doing their best to make sure they don’t have the first losing season under the tenure of head coach Mike Tomlin.
Forecast: Steelers 19, Ravens 13
Bet NFL at FanDuel Sportsbook
Claim a $1,000 No Sweat First BetFanDuel has an offer for new customers. To place a No Sweat First Bet for up to $1,000, get started here.
About the Author
