Week 16 NFL Expert Picks: Baltimore At Pittsburgh

Christmas Day is supposed to be a time of giving, and of treating people well, but those traditions will almost certainly be tossed out the window this coming Sunday afternoon. The Baltimore Ravens will be heading into Pittsburgh to face the Steelers in a game that will likely decide who wins the AFC North and books a ticket into the postseason. These are two teams that really, really hate one another, and their match-ups are tough battles that generally see one or two players getting carted off the field before it’s all over. The Steelers are a game up on the Ravens right now, and a win automatically gets them the division title. A win for the Ravens would put them back on top courtesy of holding the tiebreaker over their rivals. The added incentive will deliver an extra edge to a game that really doesn’t need one, butt which is sure to make it a real treat for the neutral observer. The Steelers are coming into this one as a 5.5-point betting odds favorite.

A Closer Look At The Week 16 NFL Expert Picks: Ravens At Steelers

When: Sunday, December 25 at 4:30 PM EST Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh TV: NFL Network Radio: WIYY and WDVE NFL Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are coming into this one having won 4 of their last 5 games, but they may have dodged a huge bullet last weekend. The Eagles scored with a few seconds left on the clock to get within a point of the Ravens, but Philadelphia choose to go for the 2-point conversion and the win instead of heading to OT. They failed, and the Ravens stayed alive in the division race. This is a team that has leaned heavily on their defense this season, giving up just 18.8 PPG. They have also had some real success versus the Steelers of late, having won each of their last 4 meetings.

Why bet on the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have several young guys playing on the defensive side of the football, and they seem to be gelling at just the right time. The Steelers have won 5 straight games, and have given up just 14 PPG during that run. The Steelers are once again putting up some gaudy offensive numbers, with Big Ben closing in on 4,000 passing yards, and LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown also delivering huge contributions. It is Bell that the Ravens are going to need to key on this weekend, because if he gets rolling, it will open up the entire field for Roethlisberger. December is always a good time to bet on the Steelers, as they are 3-0 ATS this season, and 9-1 ATS in their last 10 December games.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

We mentioned how good the Steelers have been in December in recent years, but the same cannot be said for Baltimore, who are 6-17 ATS in their last 23 December games. For me, this means taking the Steelers to win and cover a rather comfortable pick.

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