NFL Playoff Predictions – Ravens and Steelers Ready to Slug It Out

Making NFL betting playoff predictions is hard enough as it is, without having to decide what is going to happen when the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers slug it out.

They will do battle for the third time this season, with a trip to the AFC Championship game at stake, at 4:30 PM ET at Heinz Field (natural turf) in Pittsburgh. Naturally, the Steelers, with the home field advantage, are favored by just a field goal, with the total on the game posted at 37 points.

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We’ll make our NFL playoff predictions based on these numbers.

Baltimore Ravens (13-4 SU, 9-7-1 ATS) at Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4 SU, 10-6 ATS)

Live at Heinz Field

Pittsburgh, PA

Saturday, January 15 — 4:30 PM ET

TV: NBC

Odds for NFL Playoff Predictions:

Pittsburgh -3

Baltimore +3

Total 37

Here are some of the betting trends as they may impact our NFL playoff prediction on this game:

• Baltimore has won its last five games SU

• Baltimore has covered four of its last five games

• Baltimore has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total

• Baltimore has won four of its last five road games SU

• Baltimore has played seven of its last ten road games

• Pittsburgh has won six of its last seven games SU

• Pittsburgh has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total

• Pittsburgh has won 17 of its last 22 home games SU

If you look at the statistics here, you would have to concede that Pittsburgh probably has more superlatives going for it, and that by the numbers, you would grant them a slight edge in an NFL playoff prediction. The Steelers have more of an ability to get the ball down the field with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has averaged 8.2 yards an attempt, and has a receiver in Mike Wallace who has developed into a big-play outlet in just two seasons. In terms of yards per point, these teams are very similar on both sides of the football, but Pittsburgh is the team that has done a better job, on balance, of shutting down opposition rushing attacks, limiting them to three yards a carry and 63 yards a game, and they have permitted fewer points than anyone (14.5 per game) while scoring a little more (23.4). Pittsburgh’s pass rush led the league with 48 sacks, which was 21 more than Baltimore.

It is, of course, not as simple as all that. It’s January, and it’s cold, and in analyzing this NFL playoff prediction, you might say that out of these two teams, Baltimore is the side that is more likely to bludgeon an opponent with its rushing attack, which had 208 yards in a crucial late win against New Orleans and blew through Kansas City for 142 yards last Sunday. Ray Rice and Willis McGahee assure that they will have a fresh back in the game most of the time, and Joe Flacco can probably spread it around to more people, with the off-season acquisitions of Anquan Boldin, TJ Houshmandzadeh and Donte Stallworth, as well as the presence of tight end Todd Heap.

Here are the head-to-head online betting trends that have a bearing on NFL playoff predictions:

• Pittsburgh has won five of the last seven meetings SU

• Pittsburgh is 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings

• Eight of the last 11 meetings have gone OVER the total

• Pittsburgh has won nine of the last 11 meetings SU as the home team

Perhaps most importantly when looking at this NFL playoff prediction, the Ravens are a proven commodity when traveling in the playoffs, having won four times since Joe Flacco became their starting quarterback. last week against Kansas City they held the Chiefs to eight first downs and one successful conversion on third down.

The nature of this series is that it doesn’t really matter much where they are playing. This year each team won and covered on the other’s home turf, and both of those games were decided by three points. Both games last season were decided by three points as well; one of the games was a push and the other produced a home win by Baltimore but a road cover by Pittsburgh. In the last eight meetings, the dog has covered six times, with one push.

Baltimore did a pretty good job of dealing with Steeler running back Rashard Mendenhall in the two meetings this year, holding him to 2.8 yards a carry. This is another knock-down, drag-out battle, and in a game like this you might want to be on the side that is taking, so we’re with the Ravens in our NFL playoff prediction.

Jay’s play: Baltimore +3 **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

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