Hiram Moreno
This Sunday Night Football game from NFL Week 17 will provide us with an AFC North divisional clash that, while it might not be as spectacular, will surely see both teams put their best foot forward on the gridiron. This Steelers vs Ravens matchup has a lot at stake for wildcard tickets to the postseason.
Throughout the season, JefeBet has given you predictions, odds, and previews for both the major football games and the minor ones that make up each day. We will continue to give you all the information you need for your bets once the postseason begins, but let’s take things one step at a time, shall we? For now, enjoy our analysis of Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens.
Predictions and Betting Preview for the San Francisco 49ers vs Las Vegas Raiders NFL Week 17 Game on January 1, 2023
- Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland.
- When: Sunday, January 1, 2023, 8:20 PM E.T.
Odds provided by BetMGM.
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Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers
No one gave a damn about the Pittsburgh Steelers at midseason, but incredibly, the team led by rookie Kenny Pickett has managed to turn the tables and now heads into Week 17 one game behind the Dolphins in the battle for the final wildcard berth in the AFC.The team’s record is shared with four other teams, so a positive result in this match is imperative for them.
Pittsburgh has won its last two games, with the first of those being against the Carolina Panthers 24-16. The most recent was against Las Vegas Raiders by 13-10in a game in which the Steelers were able to turn around a 10-3 deficit in the fourth quarter thanks to a field goal and a touchdown in the final minutes of the game.
Overall, they have lost only one of their last five games, although that loss was to Baltimore in Week 14 (16-14). Considering that the Steelers own the fourth worst points per game average in the league at just 17.6, it will be key that they can stay focused on defense, an area in which they have excelled primarily on the ground, allowing an average of 105.6 rushing yards.
Betting on the Baltimore Ravens
Up until the Baltimore Ravens’ unfortunate loss of starting QB Lamar Jackson to injury in the first game of December, the team’s season appeared to be on the upswing. The Baltimore team has since lost the AFC North lead to the Bengals, but they still have the early lead in the race for the wild card, and only a particularly unlucky combination of outcomes would prevent them from making the playoffs.
They need to win this match if they want to rule out the prospect of not continuing their season by mid-January. Clearly, achieving this feat without Jackson won’t be easy, but the Ravens have certainly managed without him this month, winning three of their four games, with the most recent being a 17-9 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
In the absence of their quarterback, Baltimore will once again have to rely on its defensewhich is the third best in the NFL in average rushing yards allowed (87.5) and average points allowed per game (18.1), in addition to the fact that their opponents convert only 32.6% of their third down opportunities.
JefeBet Prediction
The two teams met recently in a match that was fairly even, and we don’t think things will change much this time around, with defenses dictating the pace of play against offenses that haven’t been the best.
Since Lamar Jackson’s injury, the Ravens are averaging 11.5 points per game, and will face a Steelers team that has not allowed more than 20 points in any of its last five games; however, during that span it managed to surpass that figure only twice.
Taking this into account, and the fact that Pittsburgh excels in defending on the ground, which is Baltimore’s main weapon, it would not be unusual for this match to be a low-scoring game in which the two teams are separated by a minimal difference at the end of the last quarter.
Prediction: Under (PIT 13 – BAL 16).
