Published Jan 1, 11:17am ET by
Paul Lebowitz - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jan 1, 11:17am ET
Grok AI
Updated Jan 1, 11:17am ET
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| Pittsburgh Steelers | +3.5 (-120) |
| Baltimore Ravens | -3.5 (+100) |
The Ravens have had an uncharacteristically chaotic season. There is ongoing speculation as to whether head coach John Harbaugh's job is in jeopardy. QB Lamar Jackson faced an onslaught of criticism after columnist Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun reported the 2X former NFL MVP sleeps during meetings, stays up late gaming, and forces the team to adjust its practice schedule to suit him.
Despite these issues and the team's horrific 1-5 start, rampant injuries, and inconsistency, they are in a position to make the playoffs with a win against archrival Pittsburgh.
Jackson missed the game against Green Bay with a back contusion, but backup Ty Huntley played a mistake-free game, completing 16 of 20 passes for 107 yards and 1 TD. He ran for 60 yards on 8 carries.
Tyler Huntley had a good outing, deputizing for the injured Lamar Jackson, as he led a rush-heavy Ravens offense to victory this past Saturday night.
— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) December 30, 2025
Make no mistake about it, this was a huge game and the Packers were no pushover. Still, he protected the ball and made his plays! pic.twitter.com/YO3fWrMYEy
Most importantly, the Ravens had the common sense to hand the ball to the horse, Derrick Henry, and let him run. He accrued 216 yards on 36 carries, scoring 4 TDs. Henry is peaking just in time.
The Ravens are expressing optimism that Jackson will play against the Steelers.
In the Week 14 matchup, Baltimore did not force any turnovers and could not stop the Steelers in the red zone. Still, they held Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell to a combined 28 yards on the ground. The duo amassed 76 yards through the air. They didn't sack Aaron Rodgers once.
The Ravens have been among the worst teams in the league against the pass. If they're going to win, they need to avoid turnovers and contain Rodgers. Pittsburgh is still without the suspended D.K. Metcalf.
They need to establish the run with Henry early, whether it's Jackson or Huntley under center.
Linebackers Roquan Smith and Kyle Van Noy are questionable.
ALSO SEE: Seahawks vs 49ers | Week 18 Odds & NFL Pick (Jan 3)
| PLAYER | STATUS |
|---|---|
| Roquan Smith, LB | INJURED |
| Charlie Kolar, TE | INJURED |
| Kyle Van Noy, LB | INJURED |
| Andrew Vorhees, G | INJURED |
| Ronnie Stanley, OT | INJURED |
| Patrick Ricard, FB | INJURED |
| Rashod Bateman, WR | INJURED |
| Lamar Jackson, QB | INJURED |
Had the Steelers completed the simple task of beating the Browns in Week 17, they could have rested Aaron Rodgers, given T.J. Watt another week to recuperate from his collapsed lung, shrugged off the D.K. Metcalf suspension, and prepared for the Wild Card Game at home.
Instead, they managed 6 points against 3-12 Cleveland, were unable to cash in with three shots at the end zone from the 7-yard line with less than 30 seconds left, and lost 13-6.
Rodgers to MVS incomplete on fourth down.
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) December 28, 2025
Looked like a lot of contact, but no call.#Browns will win.pic.twitter.com/tlcN0ZBMsl https://t.co/I6mMmHRoWX
Rodgers and the Steelers complained about pass interference on their final play on offense, but it wasn't called.
Just as there is speculation about Harbaugh in Baltimore, it is worse in Pittsburgh surrounding Mike Tomlin.
Without delving too deeply, it's better to look at Steelers history before making an assessment. And they do not fire head coaches.
Is it possible that Tomlin will want to move on?
Yes.
But it will be up to him.
To be fair, Cleveland has an excellent defense. It held Rodgers to 168 yards passing and largely mitigated Warren and Gainwell. The Steelers contained the Browns' rushing attack, which was without injured feature back Quinshon Judkins. Shedeur Sanders was 17 of 23 for 186 yards, 1 TD pass, and 2 interceptions.
Regardless of the particulars, the Steelers could not lose this game, but somehow managed it. Conspiracy theories aside that the league wanted the Ravens-Steelers Week 18 matchup to be a regular season playoff game, Pittsburgh had ample opportunity to avoid that fate and failed.
If they play like this against the Ravens, they're getting blown out.
To win, Pittsburgh needs to win the turnover battle and contain Henry as much as possible.
| PLAYER | STATUS |
|---|---|
| D.K. Metcalf, WR | SUSPENDED |
| T.J. Watt, LB | INJURED |
| Isaac Seumalo, G | INJURED |
| James Pierre, CB | INJURED |
| Brandin Echols, CB | INJURED |
| Calvin Austin III, WR | INJURED |
| Malik Harrison, LB | INJURED |
| Darnell Washington, TE | INJURED |
The Week 18 Ravens-Steelers matchup will decide the AFC North and could send the losing franchise careening in unprecedented directions.
This is bordering on a worst-case scenario for the Steelers and would have been avoided if they'd beaten the Browns.
For the Ravens, they can silence all the talk of infighting and dysfunction and potentially save the head coach's job with a nothing-to-lose playoff run.
It will be a tight game with the favored Ravens ultimately coming out on top.
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Pick
Baltimore Ravens -3.5
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