NFL Predictions: Ravens vs. Steelers Preview

Written by Jake Thompson
Sunday, 06 November 2011 01:02

Score predictions are ready to go in the Sunday NFL late game between the Ravens and the Steelers.

The Baltimore Ravens (5-2) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) are fighting for the lead in the AFC North, and our predictions will let you know what team comes out on top in this 8:20 PM ET game.  The Ravens opened the season with a dominant 35-7 win in Baltimore against the Steelers, but now it is time to go to Pittsburgh for the rematch.  We will preview both squads and see if we can’t peg down an accurate final score.

Pittsburgh was a 31-24 winner the last time they were the home team in this head-to-head series, and the Steelers had won outright in 2 straight before the Ravens grabbed the week 1 win earlier this season.  The Steelers have won 6 of the last 9 against the Ravens, while covering the point spread in 6 of those games.  The NFL odds for this late game have Pittsburgh favored by 3 on the point spread with a total of 42 at 5Dimes Sportsbook.

Baltimore has lost road games this season against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans, but they do have wins against the Steelers, St. Louis Rams, New York Jets, Houston Texans, and Arizona Cardinals.  The Ravens are just 1-2 on the road this year and will have a tough test going into Pittsburgh where the Steelers have amassed a 4-0 record.

The Ravens have run decently, but they could use quite a bit more production in that area.  Quarterback Joe Flacco (1751 yards, 53.8%, 8 TD, 6 INT) is not making strong enough decisions for Baltimore to rely on him this much, and the Ravens have averaged just 82.3 rushing yards per game when on the road this year.  Pittsburgh’s defense is extremely difficult to run against right now, and Baltimore has averaged 10 points per game in the 2 they’ve been outrushed in this season.

The Steelers have now won 4 straight games heading into the clash with the Ravens, and their only other loss of the season was a road game against the Houston Texans.  Pittsburgh has bested the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, and New England Patriots this year.

Pittsburgh hasn’t seen the type of rushing production they are accustomed to for much of the season, but quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (2302 yards, 64.4%, 14 TD, 7 INT) is much more suited than Flacco to carry the load when needed.  Baltimore isn’t an easy team to run against, but the Steelers have at least shown they are a bit more capable of scoring when that facet is taken away.  Pittsburgh has averaged 13.3 points per game when they are outrushed.  I don’t see that being an issue on Sunday night, however.

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Ravens vs. Steelers predictions call for Baltimore to struggle badly to move the ball throughout the game.  Look for Pittsburgh to turn some turnovers and short fields into points, while Roethlisberger does enough with his arm to open up running lanes.  I don’t expect the Steelers’ running game to go crazy, but they should be more careful with the ball and that will ultimately lead to them getting a comfortable victory at home.

Ravens vs. Steelers Score Predictions:

Ravens 13

Steelers 23