BOLD PREDICTIONS: Supremacy in The North

A December Saturday afternoon special! The (9-5) Ravens v. the (10-4) Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium in another epic rivalry showdown with massive playoff implications. The Ravens, who are seeking their third-straight postseason berth, still have their sights set on the AFC North title despite being a game behind the Steelers who clinched a playoff spot last Sunday.

Saturday marks the second of three games that both the Ravens and Steelers will play in 11 days, as each team will also play on Christmas just four days later (Baltimore is at Houston, while Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City).

These rivals last met in Week 11, when the Steelers emerged with an 18-16 win at Acrisure Stadium. The Ravens seek to end a four-game skid vs. Pittsburgh, last winning in 2022.

• Kickoff: December 21, 2024, at 4:30PM, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
• Betting Line: Ravens – 6 ½; over/under 44 1/2
• Forecast at Kickoff: 35 degrees; winds NW 20 MPH; wind chill 20 degrees
• Officiating Crew: Bill Vinovich
• On The Call: Kevin Burkhardt (PBP); Tom Brady (analyst); Erin Andrews (sideline); Tom Rinaldi (sideline)

Tony Lombardi

It’s time for the Ravens to get the monkey off their backs. All this exaggerated chatter about losing 8 of the last 9 against the Steelers is old, tired and lazy. I’m talking to you Kyle Brandt. Stick to your Angry Runs and slow your roll on the agenda driven narratives. F.O.!

Thoughts, and facts, on the alleged Steelers-Ravens rivalry pic.twitter.com/MpbANNMIa4

— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) December 19, 2024

• The Ravens v. Steelers matchups are almost always one score games. But this one won’t be. Lamar Jackson has struggled against Pittsburgh but not this time. He’ll throw for 275 yards and 2 scores and run for another 50 yards while posting a passer rating north of 130.

• Zay Flowers eclipses the 100-yard mark including a TD catch from 40+ yards out.

• Isaiah Likely hauls in 4 passes for 60 yards and a score

• The Ravens win the turnover battle 2-0 and they’ll be penalized less than the Steelers. Marlon Humphrey unleashes the fruit punch on Van Jefferson while Nate Wiggins gets the first INT of his professional career.

105.7 The Fan’s Jason LaCanfora is enamored with the Steelers and the under in this one. That’s why it won’t happen.

Ravens 31 Steelers 17

[Related Article: Steelers at Ravens Keys to Victory]

Kevin McNelis

With most of the Bold Predictions pieces, the educated guesses made by our writers end up in the neighborhood barring a game going in a really crazy direction. As we all know, though, any game against the Steelers in recent history always contains some kind of foolishness, making it more of a crapshoot than usual.

Here goes nothing:

-It’s a good news/bad news situation with the receiver room. The good news is that Coach Harbaugh indicated that Nelson Agholor could clear concussion protocol by the end of the week, and with Tez Walker finally getting involved, the Ravens could have another option in the offense. The bad news is that, following a two-touchdown game against the Giants, Rashod Bateman was listed as limited with a foot injury and was sporting a walking boot after practice. If Bateman ends up being unable to go, expect that Baltimore’s tight ends get some extra work and for the short passing game to become a point of emphasis. Mark Andrews scores again, and Isaiah Likely and Walker tie for most receptions with four each.

-The Ravens aren’t the only ones with costly injuries to grapple with, though. Both T.J. Watt and George Pickens are banged up going into this one, with Pickens having missed multiple practices while Watt was able to return in limited fashion. Watt will play, but with Pickens listed as OUT, it’s a huge blow to the Steelers offense. I expect that Nate Wiggins would’ve been in Pickens’ hip pocket all game if he was active, but even with him not suiting up, Wiggins records his first career pick. Pat Freiermuth leads the Steelers in catches, and Pittsburgh records less than 60 yards on the ground.

-In typical December weather for an AFC North showdown, it’s gonna be a cold one. The temperature at kickoff is going to be hovering right around freezing, which means that the field level temp will be even lower. While Derrick Henry has struggled to maintain his dominance over the last few weeks, this game will stand out as the one that reminds everyone why #22 signed here. As this freezing game wears on, Henry wears the Steelers defense down and eventually rips a run to the outside for 50+ yards and a touchdown, giving the Ravens all of the momentum and sealing the deal.

This game could very well determine the fate of the division. I expect the Ravens to play like it will.

Ravens 24 Steelers 13

Chad Racine

This game is the near equivalent to a playoff game with the exception the Ravens are not eliminated altogether if they lose. However, it’s the only shot to win the division which will make a big difference in the playoff standings. I have believed all season that the Ravens are significantly better than the Steelers, but only one of the teams regularly beats themselves. With George Pickens out and T.J. Watt at less than 100%, this game should be a much easier task to handle. The Ravens need to cut down on the penalties and avoid making major mistakes they should have this game. For an early Christmas present I’d like to see Keaton Mitchell get his opportunity because I believe he could make such an explosive difference in the offense.

– Lamar will have his best game against the Steelers playing balanced, running when the opportunity arises as well in the passing game. He’ll finish just below Michael Vick‘s all-time rushing yards with just shy of 100 yards and passing for 250 yards with 3 touchdowns.

– Isaiah Likely will score a touchdown and have 60 receiving yards.

– Justice Hill will have a screen pass turned into a touchdown.

– Tylan Wallace will have the third of the touchdown passes.

– Roquan resembles 2023 Ro as the defense improves every week with an interception and two tackles for loss.

– Nate Wiggins will have an interception.

– Nnamdi Madubuike will have a sack-forced fumble (without a penalty), recovered by Chris Board.

Ravens 27 Steelers 17

Rob Shields

I have felt really good about this game all week until yesterday, when we saw that Rashod Bateman is in a walking boot and Agholor continues to miss practice with a concussion.  Now, it is possible that either or both play but I think its unlikely.

My concern is that Lamar tries to do too much, as he tends to do, in this game and not having his weapons hurts him.

The other side to this is that the Ravens have seemingly been trying to take some pressure and hits off of Derrick Henry recently and that he is positioned to have a big game.

The Steelers have ruled out Justin Fields and Pickens. For different reasons, both of those are big deals. Watt is going to play but DeShon Elliott likely won’t and he has been a key for them.

I think the Ravens run it a lot, and I think the improving defense does a good job against an offense that struggles without Pickens.

Last week, the Steelers didn’t look like they belonged on the same field as the Eagles and the Ravens should have beaten them back in November if Tucker makes kicks.

Also, Mike Tomlin has owned John Harbaugh lately. Some of the “1-8 in the last nine games” stuff is overrated. There is a lot of context in terms of injuries, the Covid Tuesday game, last year not playing starters in a monsoon, etc…but Tomlin’s teams have been tougher and have beaten up on the Ravens and made the games ugly. That’s what they want and Harbaugh has to show he can coach with Tomlin this week.

In a rivalry where games are almost always within five points, I think the Ravens win relatively easily.

Ravens 24 Steelers 13

John Hughey

It’s hard to imagine a regular season matchup in the Lamar era with more implications than this Saturday’s battle with the Steelers. It’ll be the first home Steelers game in front of a sold out crowd for Lamar since entering the league in 2018. With hope still alive to take control of the North, the Ravens will need their most complete game of the season, if they expect to leave Saturday victorious. With Pittsburgh entering Week 16 banged up, Baltimore should look to control the ground game and limit the big plays in the passing game.

— Zay Flowers passes the 84 yards needed to secure his first 1k receiving season

— Jackson and Andrews continue their connection, finding the end zone together for the 5th time in their last six games

— Baltimore exposes the Steelers’ lack of weapons without Pickens, holding Russell Wilson to under 225 yards

— Nate Wiggins continues to make plays around the ball, picking up his first career INT

— After eight turnovers in their last four contests, the Ravens protect the ball this week winning the turnover battle 2:0

Ravens 20 Steelers 13

Darin McCann

It’s really hard not to look back at the recent history of this matchup and just go ahead and predict the Steelers will win this one in a hair-pulling, mind-exploding manner — because, well, that’s what happens.

However…

I do like the Ravens here. The loss of George Pickens to the Steelers offense takes away the threat of a downfield contested-catch guy that has kind of been the Ravens’ poison this season on defense. The Ravens have done a nice job all season against the run, and sans Pickens, it looks on paper like that’s going to have to be the bulk of the Steelers offense if they hope to consistently get up and down the field.

On offense, I’m not crazy about the idea of the Ravens going off against this defense. I just haven’t seen it in this era, and I’m not going to expect it this game, either. But they should be able to do enough to win this one.

Here are a few predictions:

• Kyle Hamilton has settled into the deep safety role quite well, tightening things up on the back end for the Ravens a lot. This week he takes a new step, and jumps a few passes, resulting in a pair of interceptions.
• Isaiah Likely leads the team in receiving yards with 95, along with a touchdown.
• Odafe Oweh notches a pair of sacks to get to double figures on the season.

Ravens 24 Steelers 16

Derek Arnold

Here’s my conundrum: I refuse to pick the scumbags from Western PA to win this game. However, until the Ravens and John Harbaugh prove to me that they can ACTUALLY WIN THIS GAME, I can’t bring myself to believe they can.

So, through some ridiculous combination of untimely wind gusts, stupid penalties, ridiculous turnover luck, running the “don’t block Watt” play at the worst possible moment, and general tomfoolery, this ends up in an entirely new version of Ravens-Steelers torture.

Ravens 17 Steelers 17

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