After cruising to victory over the Seahawks in Week 17 and earning their first win in Seattle since 1983, the Pittsburgh Steelers have given themselves a chance at a playoff berth. This mini-winning streak comes after Mike Tomlin's team lost three straight games against the Cardinals, Patriots, and Colts.
Pittsburgh may have had a rough stretch early in December, but they aren't going down without a fight. Unfortunately, they are going to require a bit of outside help in Week 18 if they want a chance to make it to the postseason (and potentially win a playoff game for the first time since 2017).
It all starts with taking care of business against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2023 season finale. Here's everything you need to know about this do-or-die AFC North matchup for the Steelers this week.
Steelers vs. Ravens Game Time:
Prior to the results of Week 17, the time and date of this contest were 'to be determined.' Now that the Steelers have something to play for in Week 18, the NFL elected to air this game in the late afternoon slate on Saturday. The Steelers vs. Ravens game will be the first contest to take place in the final week of the season. The game has a scheduled kickoff for 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, January 6th.
Steelers vs. Ravens Location:
The first matchup between these two AFC North rivals took place in Pittsburgh when the Steelers found a way to upset QB Lamar Jackson and the Ravens with a bizarre sequence of splash plays late in the game. This time around, the Steelers and Ravens will go to-to-toe at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. This will be their second straight-road contest to close out the 2023 season.
Steelers vs. Ravens Streaming and TV:
The Steelers vs. Ravens Week 18 contest will be aired nationally on ABC and ESPN. It will also air locally in Pittsburgh on WTAE-TV. For those without cable or no access to these stations, you can stream this AFC North battle with a subscription to NFL+ or NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. However, we recommend using FuboTV for your streaming needs.
Steelers vs. Ravens Odds:
The Pittsburgh Steelers opened as 3.5-point road favorites over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18. The Ravens were early favorites in this contest, but the line quickly flipped as the Ravens cruised to victory over the Dolphins on Sunday.
Now Baltimore already has the number one seed in the AFC locked up and nothing to play for. They could be resting starters against the Steelers this week. Pittsburgh has a moneyline of -185 in this contest and the over/under is set at just 36.5 points, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
What to Watch for in Steelers vs. Ravens Game:
Ahead of this pivotal Saturday evening matchup, we will be looking to see which Ravens players will be sitting this contest out. John Harbaugh will likely look to avoid injuries by resting his best players, so we will see just how many players the Ravens will be missing.
The Steelers shouldn't expect a walk in the park against Baltimore's backups. The Ravens would love nothing more to send Mike Tomlin's team packing. After all, Pittsburgh has given Baltimore trouble in the past and they defeated the Ravens earlier this year.
Keep an eye on Mason Rudolph, who will be starting his third straight game to close out the season. Rudolph has turned heads in his first two games this year and has averaged an astonishing passer rating of 115.3 so far. Can he keep it up in another must-win game?
The Steelers need some outside help in the form of a loss for either the Bills or Jaguars this week, but it starts with taking care of business on their end against a Ravens team that is likely resting their most important players.