PITTSBURGH STEELERS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS EXPERT PICK – DECEMBER 21, 2024

The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) are set to face the Baltimore Ravens (9-5) today at M&T Stadium in a pivotal AFC North matchup. The Steelers currently lead the division by one game, making this contest crucial for both teams’ playoff aspirations. In their previous meeting on November 17, Pittsburgh secured a narrow 18-16 victory. Read Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens expert pick. 

Kickoff

When: Sunday, December 21st at 4:25 PM ET

Where: M&T Bank Stadium – Baltimore, MD

TV: FOX

The Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

We are the Champions

Lamar Jackson’s inability to defeat the Steelers while dominating the rest of the league in confounding. See the preview article from a few weeks ago between these two teams for a breakdown on his stats vs the Steelers compared to the rest of the league, it’s mind blowing! After losing in week 11, the Ravens have now lost eight of the last nine games to their bitter rivals. While Jackson has struggled, his supporting cast hasn’t been much help, losing six fumbles, committing 51 penalties, and dropping a dozen passes in his five starts against the Steelers. A trend that reared its ugly head in their last meeting.

“[It was] just self-inflicted wounds,” said the two-time MVP. “[We had] penalties, turnovers, [trying to get] back on track [on] second-and-long, third-and-long, first-and-long. [With] stuff like that, we’re killing drives before they even get started, and I watched film on that.”

With the Ravens one game behind, the path is simple for the Steelers: they win, and they’ll be AFC North champions, securing a home playoff game for the first time since 2017. However, securing that win may prove challenging, as the Ravens are in a must-win situation, and the Steelers will be without their top receiver, George Pickens. Pittsburgh’s offense struggled last week in his absence and Arthur Smith will look for a different scheme this week to generate offense. Look for the tight end’s to be more involved with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington to help fill the void left at wide receiver. There is also true chemistry between Russell Wilson and receiver Calvin Austin III that needs to be exploited for much needed “splash” plays that were missing last week in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

After injuring his ankle last week, T.J. Watt will be available today and looks to improve on his one sack performance the last time they met. This gives the Steelers a chance to replicate the success they’ve had against Jackson in the past. Even if he is on a ‘pitch count,’ adding him to the rotation of edge rushers alongside Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig is a huge bonus, especially considering how severe his injury appeared at the time.

The linebackers will be crucial in the middle of the field, tasked with containing both the running game and tight end Mark Andrews. Patrick Queen returns to Baltimore for the first time since not being re-signed after last season, but he doesn’t think it’s a big deal.

“I’m over it. It’s a new team, we clinched a playoff spot, and there’s bigger things to look at down the road,” says Queen. “Right now, this is a big game, a division game. It’s a chance to get T-shirts and hats, so I’m all for it. I’m all for the rivalry and all that but I’m over the whole ‘my old team’ stuff.”

The team could be singing “We are the Champions” if Queen does his job!

The Pick

It feels like the Ravens will eventually figure out how to make this a rivalry again against the Steelers. While Baltimore will naturally be hyped for this AFC North matchup, they need to take a ‘chill pill’ and treat it like a normal game. If they stick to their game plan, avoid forcing unnecessary throws, and stay in manageable 3rd-and-short situations, they should be able to defeat the Steelers handily. However, Mike Tomlin knows how to rattle both Lamar Jackson and coach John Harbaugh. Expect the Steelers to try to drag the game through the mud and keep it close. This time, the Ravens will get the best of them, winning by 10 points. (And I hate picking against my team.)