BetUS $500 Match Bonus
Sign up for a new account with BetUS and deposit $500 or more to get a $500 match bonus!

$20 Free Play at Sportsbook.com
Your first bet is free when you open a new account at sportsbook.com!

AFC Championship Game: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Betting Odds & Spread

Written January 15, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Steelers Ravens Football

The AFC Championship game is set and for the third time this season the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will square off on the football field. The Steelers won both of the regular season matchups, but by a total of just 7 points. The Steelers won the NFC North going 12-4 and finished the regular season winning 6 of its final 7 games. The Ravens were close behind at 11-5 and also finished the season strong going 5-1to lock in a wild card spot. The Steelers were able to take control against the Chargers with a 35-14 win, while the Ravens cruised through the Dolphins in the first round, and then barely snuck by the Titans last week 13-10. For those of you looking to do a little NFL betting on the big game this weekend, the oddsmakers have the Steelers 6 point favorites over the Ravens at Bookmaker.com.

The Ravens come in forced to win yet another game on the road, and will try to beat the Steelers for the first time this season, but they always say its hard to beat a team 3 times in a row. The Ravens weren’t able to do much last week against the Titans, as their only offensive touchdown came on 48 yard strike from Joe Flacco to Derrick Mason. Other than that long passing strike the Ravens had just 163 yards of total offense, as they were only able to manage 50 yards on the ground. One thing this team did was they made sure to hold onto the football, as they didn’t have a single turnover against the Titans strong defense. Against the Steelers this season Flacco hasn’t been much of a factor completing just 27 of 59 passes for 307 yards and just 1 touchdown to 2 interceptions. On the bright side this team has been able to get the running game going, as they rushed for over a 100 yards in both games this season, but have only managed to find the end zone twice as an offensive unit.

The one thing this team has going for them is they have a defense that can go toe to toe with the Steelers defense. So far this unit has given up just 19 points in two playoff games, and last week thanks to an ankle injury to Chris Johnson were able to completely shut down the Titans in the 2nd half. Most importantly this unit created 3 huge turnovers, and two of them came on fumbles when the Titans were threatening to score. Against the Steelers in the two games this season the defense was solid against the run, but did have some troubles stopping the passing, including the final matchup where Roethlisberger threw for 246 yards and a score. The key will be keeping Willie Parker in check and hoping this unit can make enough big plays to win this game. Bet Baltimore Ravens +6 at Bookmaker.com.

The Steelers really played one heck of a football game last weekend against the Chargers, as the offense did its part and the defense pretty much controlled San Diego the entire game. Roethlisberger was solid throwing for 181 yards, including a 8 yard touchdown strike to Heath Miller. The big story was the running game of Willie Parker, who ran it 27 times for 146 yards and 2 scores. Parker is going to be the key in this one, as he wasn’t able to go in the first matchup between these two teams, and had just 47 yards on 14 carries in the 2nd game. Parker is about as healthy as he has been all season, and it couldn’t come at a better time for Steelers fans. They key for this unit will be making sure they hold on to the football against the big play defense of the Ravens this weekend.

The Steelers defense got off to a pretty scary start, as the Chargers drove it 75 yards for a touchdown on the first series, that included a 41 yard touchdown strike from Philip Rivers to Vincent Jackson. But this unit came alive after that, as they only allowed a field goal till the 4th quarter, and by the time the Chargers scored a touchdown it was pretty much out of hand at 28-10. This defense was lights out against the run, as they let an LT less Chargers rushing attack manage just 15 yards on the ground. We have already mentioned this unit has had some troubles stopping the Ravens rushing attack this season, and it will once again be the key to making it 3 straight against Baltimore. Bet Pittsburgh Steelers -6 at Bookmaker.com.

Lowry’s Lean on the Game: Steelers -6
I liked the Steelers coming into the playoffs out of the AFC, and after their performance against the Chargers I have no reason to change my mind. This is not going to be an easy game for the Steelers, as the Ravens defense is just too good to go away easy. I think that playing at home and a healthy Willie Parker allows this team to control the game and take home the victory.

Predicted Score: Steelers 24 Ravens 16

Check out the latest NFL playoff picks and make sure you have the best NFL odds for both the games this weekend at Betfirms.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

No comments yet, but your thoughts are welcome!

Comments

Got something to say?