Ravens vs. Steelers Week 12 Predictions, Odds, Preview

T&C's Apply, 21+, Only in CO

• December 1, 2020
• By Matt Blunt
• VegasInsider.com

Ravens vs. Steelers - Predictions

• Score Prediction: Pittsburgh 23 Baltimore 14
• Best Bet: Under 41

A proposed Thursday Night Football game was supposed to be played on Tuesday Night football and after another about-face, the NFL decided to move Pittsburgh and Baltimore to a rare Wednesday afternoon contest.

Why play on Wednesday afternoon instead of in the primetime slot? Well, while we believe football is king of television in America, and it is for the most part, the folks at NBC have already booked a “Christmas In Rockefeller Center” tree-lighting special. Score one for Santa Claus!

The Baltimore Ravens are in the middle of a virus issue right now and it could end up being the beginning of the end for their 2020 campaign because of it and if you don't think so, then check out the injury report below.

This huge rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers was meant to give the Ravens a last shot at staying in the AFC North race, but with how the next few weeks play out for Baltimore, they might not even get a legitimate last shot at even making the playoffs now.

That's life in the NFL in 2020 though, as from the Denver Broncos perspective this week, Baltimore's even lucky the NFL moved the game for them. Denver wasn't afforded such courtesy and was made to “take one for the shield” so to speak in playing without a legitimate quarterback on Sunday.

So after coughing up the first meeting with four turnovers and still having a pass broken up in the end zone on the final play of the game to win it, can Baltimore get any sort of redemption in the return match with the Steelers, or will Pittsburgh take no quarter with their embattled division rival and cruise to an 11-0 record?

Betting Resources

• Week 12 Matchup: AFC North
• Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
• Venue: Heinz Field
• Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Date: Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020
• Time: 3:40 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC
• Bet Now: BetMGM | BetRivers | FanDuel | PointsBet | All |Bet Now in Pennsylvania

Instead of playing on Thanksgiving Day night, the Ravens and Steelers will be meeting on Wednesday in Week 12. (AP)

Ravens-Steelers Betting Odds

Line Movements

Odds Subject to Change

2020 Betting Stats

(Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under - O/U)

Baltimore

• Overall: 6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS, 4-6 O/U
• Road: 4-1 SU, 2-3 ATS, 2-3 O/U
• Offense PPG: 26.8 (Rank 12)
• Defense PPG: 19.5 (Rank 3)
• Offense YPG: 343.9 (Rank 24)
• Defense YPG: 333.0 (Rank 8)

Pittsburgh

• Overall: 10-0 SU, 8-2 ATS, 4-4-2 O/U
• Home: 5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS, 3-1-1 O/U
• Offense PPG: 29.8 (Rank 4)
• Defense PPG: 17.4 (Rank 1)
• Offense YPG: 347.8 (Rank 21)
• Defense YPG: 306.9 (Rank 4)

Over vs. Under
Handicapping the Total

The first meeting easily went 'over' the closing number of 44, making it the 3rd straight in this rivalry to go 'over' the number. But this is also going to be a very different looking Ravens team we see on the field this time around, and expecting any sort of similar success will be tough.

Baltimore would love to protect the ball this time around, as they had no problem moving the ball against the vaunted Steelers defense in that first game, they just couldn't hold on to it long enough to cash in points.

The success the Ravens had running the ball (265 rushing yards) can work as a positive for this game, considering we are likely to see Baltimore run the ball plenty to try and shorten the game. Shortening the game is the best chance Baltimore's got in this one, as it's not like their own defense couldn't try to steal this thing either.

Allowing 28 points after giving up just 221 total yards in that first game was a sore spot for this Ravens defense, even with seven of those points coming directly from the Steelers defense on the pick-six to open the scoring.

I'd expect them to welcome the challenge of trying to carry this team from the outset, but that can only take you so far in terms of trying to win the game.

In terms of the total though, the shape this Baltimore roster is in does lend itself to looking low on this total. Baltimore's going to bring a heavy dose of their running game at Pittsburgh again, and if they can continually move the chains that way like they did in the first meeting, the Steelers time of possession here will be slim.

That's going to make it tough for Pittsburgh to cover this point spread, or do enough on their end for 'over' bettors.

T&C's Apply, 21+, Only in CO

Head-to-Head History

• Nov. 1, 2020 - Pittsburgh 28 at Baltimore 24, Steelers +4, Over 44
• Dec. 29, 2019 - Baltimore 28 vs. Pittsburgh 10, Ravens +2, Over 35
• Oct. 6, 2019 - Baltimore 26 at Pittsburgh 23, Steelers +3.5, Over 44

Ravens vs. Steelers
Handicapping the Side

You'd have to go all the way back to 10 meetings ago between these two teams to find the last time one of them was catching double digits, as Baltimore won 20-17 outright as an 11-point home underdog back in late December of 2015.

Baltimore was the team that owned the turnover battle that day in going +3 in that regard, and they'll probably need to have multiple turnovers again this time around to have a shot at the outright victory.

But covering a double digit spread in a rivalry where Baltimore's only lost by double digits three times to Pittsburgh since the start of the 2005 season (34 games) is a much different question no matter who the Ravens end up on the field with.

QB Robert Griffin III has plenty of experience in this league, and with his skill set being very similar to starter Lamar Jackson, having him as a backup really allows the Ravens coaching staff to keep the status quo in terms of what plays are readily available to use.

Keeping things simple and executing (what you can execute) at a high level are going to be critical to any level of success Baltimore has here, and having RG III back there is a far different circumstance then what Denver dealt with this past week.

But that blowout defeat the Broncos suffered because of COVID issues will find some common ground in the marketplace with what is likely to be Steelers love from start to finish for this game.

Bettors will remember how easy a win it was laying whatever number with the Saints on Sunday, and think it will be more of the same with Pittsburgh and their lofty number.

I'm not so sure that will be the case in a rivalry game of this nature, but with next to nothing for practice time, and question marks on if all the Ravens players even know one another out there are still concerned enough to move on from all this uncertainty and move on to another day.

A forced selection on the side would have me siding with all those points and Baltimore, but I do believe the total is still the better way to go, if only because of the chance this game does turn out similar to the Saints/Broncos game where Pittsburgh cruises to a big lead and can just sit on the ball in the 2nd half to let that clock bleed.

Key Injuries - Ravens vs. Steelers

Baltimore

• DT Broderick Washington Jr.: COVID19 - Probable
• LB Jaylon Ferguson: COVID19 - Probable
• G D.J. Fluker: Back - Questionable
• G Will Holden: COVID19 - Questionable
• DT Justin Madubuike: COVID19 - Questionable
• FB Patrick Ricard: COVID19 - Questionable
• G Matt Skura: COVID19 - Questionable
• G Patrick Mekari: COVID19 - Questionable
• DE Jihad Ward: COVID19 - Questionable
• DE Derek Wolfe: Illness - Questionable
• CB Jimmy Smith: Ankle - Questionable
• LB Pernell McPhee: COVID19 - Questionable
• DT Brandon Williams: Ankle - Out
• LB Matthew Judon: COVID-19 - Out
• WR Willie Snead IV: COVID-19 - Out
• QB Lamar Jackson: COVID-19 - Out
• TE Mark Andrews: COVID-19 - Out
• RB Mark Ingram II: COVID19 - Out
• RB J.K. Dobbins: COVID19 - Out

Pittsburgh

• WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: Toe - Probable
• TE Vance McDonald: COVID-19 - Probable
• RB Jaylen Samuels: Quad - Questionable
• CB Joe Haden: Knee - Questionable
• RB James Conner: COVID-19 - Out
• RB Trey Edmunds: Hamstring - Out
• TE Zach Gentry: Knee - Out