The second of Saturday’s two NFL playoff fixtures comes from a frozen M&T Bank Stadium when the Baltimore Ravens host familiar foes and AFC North rivals Pittsburgh on Wild Card Weekend.
Baltimore ended the regular season on a run of four straight wins and their 12-5 record was enough to clinch the AFC’s no.3 seed, while the Steelers’ 10-7 record saw them finish sixth, teeing up another meeting between the two divisional rivals.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are favoured in the match-up, and rightly so on what they’ve shown this year, but wily Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin has developed a habit of defying the odds and his team won’t go down easily.
We’ve put together a three-leg bet builder, which pays out at 6/1.
GET £30 IN FREE BETS WITH TALKSPORT BET*
Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers (Bet Builder) tips
- Pittsburgh Steelers handicap +9.5
- Under 44.5 Total Points
- Derrick Henry Over 20.5 Rushing Attempts
Bet Builder odds: 6/1
Steelers should show some mettle
Baltimore won 34-17 when these teams met on the final Saturday before Christmas but that Week 16 scoreline flattered John Harbaugh’s team, who were matched by the Steelers for the bulk of that battle.
With the scores at 17-17, Mark Andrews put the Ravens ahead with a touchdown late in the third quarter before Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson threw an inexplicable pick-six a few minutes later, effectively killing the game as a contest.
That was, however, the Ravens’ first win since December 2022 against the Steelers, who had won four consecutive meetings prior to last month’s clash, although two of those victories were achieved when Jackson was not conducting Baltimore’s offence.
Jackson, having another brilliant season featuring 41 touchdown passes and four of his own on the ground, gives the hosts the edge, but he still has questions to answer in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh will enter M&T on a three-game losing stretch, but Tomlin knows how to contain the Baltimore offence – at least to some extent – and it’s unlikely they’ll lose by a double-digit margin.
Points should come at a premium
Temperatures will be hovering around 0°C in Maryland on Saturday evening, and two teams that like to lean heavily on the run will continue to keep the clock running, which means the under catches the eye.
Given their struggles on offence, Pittsburgh will want to turn this into a defensive dogfight, and they might well have success in doing so as the Ravens have averaged just 16 points per game in the playoffs with Jackson at quarterback.
No playoff game involving the Ravens’ QB has featured more than 44 points and eight of the last 10 meetings between these two have finished under the total.
Ravens to lean on King Henry
With wintery conditions a certainty, Harbaugh will want his offence to run through Derrick Henry, the bulldozing running back who has looked as good as ever since joining Baltimore in the off-season.
King Henry’s total rushing attempts are chalked up at 20.5 and there’s every chance he will surpass that line – he averaged 24 attempts against Pittsburgh in Week 16 and 27 against the Texans the following week.
GET £30 IN FREE BETS WITH TALKSPORT BET*
*18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile or app on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 3x £10 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
All odds correct at time of writing
talkSPORT BET Canada
talkSPORT BET is now live in Canada!
Following on from our success in the UK & Ireland, we have now launched in Canada.
All residents outside of Ontario can now sign up and bet with talkSPORT BET.
Bet $10 at odds of +100 and get triple your returns up to $300! – CLAIM HERE
T&Cs: 19+ New customers only. Opt in, bet max $10 on any sport single in 7 days, at odds +100 or greater. If it wins we Triple (x3) your returns, up to $300 in Free Bets, expires in 7 days. T&Cs apply, click for T&Cs. Responsiblegambling.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.