Pittsburgh Steelers vs

Baltimore Ravens Prediction

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens Prediction

We have a good one in the AFC North. In a battle of Super Bowl contenders, the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens. The game will be played on Sunday, November 1st, at 1:00 P.M. The Baltimore Ravens are 3.5 point favorites against the undefeated Steelers. Keep reading below as we take a closer look at this matchup between teams fighting for AFC North supremacy.

Baltimore Ravens Preview

It’s been a quiet season for the Ravens. While most of the NFL is dealing with some issues of their own, the Ravens have been flying under the radar. Their 5-1 record puts them in second place in the AFC North, behind their opponent, the Steelers. With the exception of their loss to the Chiefs in Week 3, the Ravens have been as expected. They’re beating teams with a dominant running game and a defense that can get stops when needed. Their formula has been similar to their 2019 strategy in which they own 14 games. To take over first place in the AFC North, they need to secure a victory over their rivals in a closely contested game.

Baltimore enters this game coming off of their bye week, and are on a three game winning streak. Their last victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 was closely contested, but their 30-28 victory was not as close as the score would indicate. Baltimore controlled that game until the very end, and with the exception of some late drives by the Eagles, the Ravens weren’t sweating the result. Their 2-point stop on the Eagles final possession secured the victory.

Lamar Jackson has struggled to take the next step as a passer. Already known as a feared threat out of the backfield with his legs, he has been trying to hone in his passing. He’s only completing 63% of his passes, but has an impressive 10:2 touchdown to interception ratio. In order for this team to make the Super Bowl run that is expected, Jackson will have to improve his throws into tight windows, and take the necessary shots down the field to keep defenses honest.

With a win, the Ravens would retake first place in the AFC North. This is important because their opponent is 6-0, and would have a home playoff game if the season ended today. By securing a victory Sunday, the Ravens would be back in contention for the lone AFC bye, and would own the tiebreaker over the Steelers going forward. It will be a stiff test against an excellent defense, but don’t be surprised to see Baltimore play one of their best games off of their bye week.

Pittsburgh Steelers Preview

If you told me before the season that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be the lone remaining undefeated team, I would have taken that bet. While expected to be good this season, there were some serious questions about their roster. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was coming off a serious elbow injury that ruined his 2019 campaign, and there were concerns about his effectiveness coming into the season. 

Roethlisberger has silenced those critics. While he hasn’t been putting up the numbers he was in his prime, he has done more than enough to win games. At 6-0, the Steelers are the lone undefeated team in the NFL, and they are coming off an impressive road win over the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans. Any questions about this team’s Super Bowl potential should now be put to rest. 

The Steelers win games with a dominant defense and a balanced offense. Their defense gets pressure on opposing quarterbacks to cause mistakes, and their talented back seven capitalizes on those mistakes. The offense is often put into great situations. That’s not to take credit away from the offense. They have to capitalize on those opportunities, and have done so to this point.

If the Steelers can get their wide receivers fully healthy, they might be unstoppable by the end of the season. With Diontae Johnson coming back from injury last week, he adds another element to an attack that also features Juju Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool. In his return, Johnson caught nine passes for 80 yards, and two touchdowns. This team has the talent to go deep into the playoffs, and this week’s matchup against Baltimore will be the ultimate litmus test.

Full Game Prediction

Despite entering this game undefeated, the Steelers are underdogs in this game. It goes to show the respect the league has for the Baltimore Ravens. This will be one of the week’s best games. Both of these defenses have proven capable of shutting down high powered offenses, and their offenses can explode on a moment’s notice. Expect it to come down to the final quarter, and will depend on which quarterback can limit the mistakes while he will almost assuredly be under duress. 

Make sure you sign up for a BetQL subscription so that you can check out important stats and trends for both teams in this pivotal matchup. You will also be able to see our model’s official Steelers at Ravens prediction in Week 8.