Ravens at Steelers NFL Week 4 Odds & Pick

The Baltimore Ravens visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in prime time on Sunday in a classic AFC North tilt. The Steelers enter with a 1-1-1 record, while the Ravens come in at 2-1. Baltimore has had an up-and-down season so far, dominating Buffalo in the opener and taking down Denver last week, but then losing to Cincinnati in between. The Steelers had a bizarre tie against Cleveland, a game they would have lost if the Browns’ kicker had been able to make a reasonable kick. Then, they lost in a shootout against Kansas City at home before dominating Tampa Bay in the first half, holding on for a three-point win on Monday Night Football. Which team will prevail on Sunday night? Take a look at our sports betting preview and NFL odds.

Ravens at Steelers NFL Week 4 Odds & Pick

One word to describe the rivalry between the @Ravens & @Steelers? Venom.

🎤: @Eminem pic.twitter.com/B0eLjgNUwF — SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 28, 2018

When: Sunday, September 30, 2018, 8:20pm ET Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh TV: NBC Radio: Westwood One Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Odds: Pittsburgh -3, O/U 48.5

Why should you bet on the Ravens?

Joe Flacco has played with additional energy this year, perhaps with the motivation of rookie Lamar Jackson serving as his backup propelling him. Against Denver, Flacco threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, and Alex Collins led the team in rushing with 68 yards, also finding the end zone. John Brown was Flacco’s favorite target, hauling in five balls for 86 yards. With 97 points in three games, the Ravens’ offense is moving more dynamically than many prognosticators had thought would happen this year. What about the defense? They Ravens have played two solid defensive contests, holding Denver and Buffalo to 17 points combined, but then they gave up 34 against a Cincinnati team that has a history of underperforming offensively. Ben Roethlisberger has been throwing the ball all over the field, particularly in the past two weeks, and the Steelers have put up a ton of points. Cleveland did find a way to slow them down in the opener, and then Tampa Bay put the brakes on the Steelers last week. Can the Ravens get the pass rush and the coverage to force the Steelers (who still don’t have Le’Veon Bell in the backfield) to establish the run?

Why should you put your money on the Steelers?

Big Ben continues to turn back the clock this season, as he threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns (and a pick) against Tampa Bay on Monday night. The running game continues to be a bit of an issue in the absence of Bell, as James Conner was only able to pick up 61 yards on the ground. Roethlisberger’s favorite target was JuJu Smith-Schuster, who caught nine passes for 116 yards in the win. The offense did fizzle after halftime, as a 30-13 Steeler lead turned into a 30-27 nailbiter as Ryan Fitzpatrick almost brought the Bucs all the way back. The Steelers’ defense is notoriously unreliable, particularly against the pass. Yes, they had three interceptions against Tampa Bay last week, including a pick-six, but they also gave up six passing touchdowns at home against Kansas City, and if the team didn’t generate a turnover against the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay was able to move the ball fairly easily. If you like the Steelers, then you think that the pass rush will contain Flacco and force him into some mistakes, and that the Steelers will be able to score on Baltimore like they have against Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The line on this game basically shows that the oddsmakers think it’s an even match, with Pittsburgh getting three points for playing at home. The Steelers have put up more points than the Ravens have (especially if you correct for that ridiculous Buffalo game), but Baltimore also has the more reliable defense through three games. I think the Steelers will play tougher defense at home in a divisional game, so I predict a final score of Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 16.