The Baltimore Ravens are visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football at Heinz Field. Baltimore is still looking for its first win after three games, while Pittsburgh is 2-1. However, the Ravens are favored by three points on the road, with an over/under line of 44, according to BOVADA.
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So why are the Ravens a field goal-favorite over the Steelers, on the road? Because Ben Roethlisberger sprained his MCL against the St. Louis Rams last week, leaving Pittsburgh to start Michael Vick for the next 4-6 weeks. Although the Ravens are also banged up with tight end Crockett Gilmore, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, wide receiver Breshad Perriman and left tackle Eugene Monroe not playing, Pittsburgh seems the weaker group.
Baltimore is also a desperate team. It is tough enough to be 0-3 and make the playoffs. Since the reformatting of the playoff system in 1990, only three teams have been able to reach the postseason after such a start and none have done so since the turn of the century. The Ravens have made the playoffs each season since the John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco era began, save for the 2013 campaign when they went 8-8.
If you are looking for betting trends, consider these. The Ravens are a measly 2-6 against the spread over their last eight games, according to OddsShark. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Steelers are an impressive 6-1-1 ATS over the past eight contests. In their last seven games against each other, the Steelers have covered four times and pushed once.