The undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers are currently favorites over the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving night.
The Steelers have been favored by the experts at NFL Pickwatch in all but one game they have played in so far. Ironically enough, the only game they were considered underdogs was against the Baltimore Ravens on the road back in Week 8, when Pittsburgh narrowly secured a 4-point victory.
Over their last two games against the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, the Steelers won both contests by a combined score of 63-13. This isn’t what Pittsburgh fans are used to seeing. After a remarkable 10-0 start to the season – the best in the history of the franchise – Mike Tomlin’s squad is starting to blow NFL teams out of the water.
But how do they fare against the Ravens in their second matchup of the season? Quite frankly, better than they did the first time around.
Why oddsmakers are right to favor the Steelers
As of Tuesday night, the Steelers are 4.5 point favorites over the Ravens, courtesy of The Action Network, as we quickly approach their Thanksgiving night matchup. Baltimore is now surprisingly just 6-4 after losing in overtime to the Tennessee Titans last week. While they have even more to play for at this point than Pittsburgh does, it’s hard to say that the Ravens hold the competitive edge in this contest.
So far, it looks like John Harbaugh’s team has drawn the short straw. Multiple players within the organization have tested positive for COVID-19 and will be forced to sit this contest out. The latest report, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, states that five players and four staff members have now tested positive for Baltimore. This already puts the Ravens at a bit of a disadvantage, as they could be without some solid contributors on game day.
Additionally, the Ravens (like the Steelers) are coming off a short week. The difference is that while Pittsburgh blew out their opponent in Week 11 and were able to rest some of their starters late in the game, Baltimore lost a hard-fought game in overtime, and their players will no doubt be tired. Moreso, they will be the ones doing the traveling as the Thanksgiving night game will be played in Pittsburgh under the lights at Heinz Field.
The Steelers, meanwhile, continue to be one of the healthiest teams in the league (knock on wood) heading into Week 12, and with the way they have been playing on both sides of the ball, it’s almost a wonder that Pittsburgh isn’t favored by even more in this contest.
At the end of the day, this is going to be a huge game for both teams. The Steelers want to keep the Kansas City Chiefs off their heels for the number one seed in the AFC, while the Ravens are fighting for a playoff spot in 2020. Stay tuned to see how this line shifts as we approach kickoff.