The Pittsburgh Steelers will be playing for their NFL playoff lives on Saturday versus the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens. However, a new betting report offers reason to expect Pittsburgh to score a huge upset victory in Week 18.
Just a few weeks ago, the Steelers were in the midst of a tailspin as they lost three straight, had a messy situation at quarterback, and it seemed like Mike Tomlin’s run as head coach could be over in 2024. Boy, how things change following a couple of wins.
Related: Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph proves he was the solution all along in Week 17 victory
After installing Mason Rudolph as their QB two games ago, Pittsburgh has been able to salvage their season and have an outside chance of reaching the postseason for the third time in the last four years heading into this weekend. However, in Week 18 they have a massive challenge in front of them with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens have the best record in the NFL and will be the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. With the way Baltimore has been playing in recent weeks, getting a victory on the road against them seems like an insurmountable task. However, there may be reason for serious hope ahead of their matchup at 4:30 on Saturday.
Lamar Jackson likely to skip game against Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18
Early betting odds reportedly have the Pittsburgh Steelers as surprising four-point favorites against the Baltimore Ravens this weekend. The reason for those unexpected odds is likely due to a belief that Lamar Jackson is likely to skip the game with the Ravens having nothing to play for in Week 18.
“It’s unknown whether bettors have inside information about [Head Coach John] Harbaugh’s plans that he hasn’t shared with the public, or whether bettors are just taking an educated guess that Harbaugh wouldn’t risk Jackson’s health before the playoffs,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Focus speculated on Tuesday.
For the Steelers to make the playoffs in 2024, they need to beat the Ravens on Saturday and then have either the Jacksonville Jaguars or Buffalo Bills lose on Sunday.
