Wow … what can we say other than it was another crazy week of NFL football! Despite a wild start that had Joe Flacco getting smashed by Bradley Chubb and then a blocked punt and going down a score … all within the first couple of minutes, the Baltimore Ravens settled down and got the job done against the Denver Broncos and their tough front seven to move to 2-1.
Next up is the Pittsburgh Steelers, and even though the Steelers have had more than a shaky start to their 2018 campaign, John Harbaugh and his Ravens are coming into the game as 3.5-point underdogs at online betting sites such as Intertops.
Ravens Bounce Back
Harbaugh and the Ravens were criticized after dropping one to the Cincinnati Bengals, but that all turned around in Week 3. Vance Joseph was out-coached, plain and simple. The Broncos had a hot start, but Marty Mornhinweg and Harbaugh found ways to keep the Denver defense off balance and above all the offensive line neutralized Von Miller and his motley crew of QB killers.
If we were scoring it like a fight, we would give one quarter to the Broncos and then three to the Ravens.
And if there is one thing that we know about Flacco so far this season, it’s that he is in top form.
Steelers Finally Get a Win
By the looks of it, Fitzmagic isn’t over just yet. But it was a rocky start on both ends. Big Ben was pressured and hit early and then stepped up into a pass where JuJu Smith-Schuster got his route jumped and then suddenly the Bucs were in scoring position. But the Steelers got their legs under them from there on out and took command on Monday night.
Fitz tried to make an epic comeback and almost did, but it wasn’t enough to get the job done.
Rivalry Night at Heinz Field
There has been a lot of talk about the Steelers being in disarray, but this is still one of the biggest rivalries in football. It goes beyond just being AFC North division rivals to something deeper … which is exactly why the Ravens and Baltimore fans can’t count the Steelers out of this one. Pittsburgh has been listed as a 3.5-point home favorite, and while that line is questionable, it is understandable.
The Steelers have shown some serious defects in their secondary. This is a defense that was supposed to be one of the more elite in the league, but they are allowing 42 points at home. If the Pittsburgh D plays as soft as it has, Flacco, Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead, and John Brown are going to have a hay day.
The one statistical problem we run into is Pittsburgh has also put up a lot of points in their first couple of home games, averaging 37 at Heinz, while the Ravens only put up 23 in their one road game. But this is a very small sample size and we can bet that the No. 4 Baltimore defense is going to throw a pretty hefty wrench into the Steelers cogs. That said, the Steelers’ 4th ranked offense will put this elite Ravens defense to the test and we as fans are going to have an epic battle to watch.
Of the last ten games against Pittsburgh, Baltimore has won six. The Ravens have also covered the point spread in six of the last ten as well. And since 2017 the Ravens are 5-2-1 against the spread as the away team (71.4%).
Will the Ravens win? They very well might. But the Steelers may have found their team unity in Week 3. This could end up a very tight game, and the Ravens are likely to cover the 3.5 points.
But be sure to hop on it soon, before the number moves, because like me, it already looks like the rest of the public is leaning towards the Ravens as well, which means the number will move down to just 3 or 2.5 by Sunday.
