Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, PA
Kickoff: Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET
Line: Pittsburgh -4.5, Total: 44.0

The Ravens and Steelers will be battling for the top position in the AFC North when the teams meet on Sunday.

Last week wasn’t pretty for Baltimore, but the team did come away with a 27-26 victory as a five-point home favorite over Philadelphia. The Ravens have now won three of their past four games, and a win over the Steelers and a win in Week 17 would mean that Baltimore will have finished in first in the AFC North. The Steelers, however, can clinch by defeating the Ravens at home on Sunday. Pittsburgh is scorching hot at the moment, as the team has won (and covered) in each of its past five contests. These two teams met in Week 9 this season, and the Ravens won that game 21-14 as three-point home underdogs. That victory was Baltimore’s fourth straight win over Pittsburgh, but Roethlisberger was banged up in that one. One trend that favors the Ravens when looking at this game is the fact that they are 8-1 ATS off three or more consecutive Overs under head coach John Harbaugh. The Steelers, meanwhile, are an impressive 12-3 ATS in home games where the total is between 42.5 and 45 points under head coach Mike Tomlin. They could, however, be without TE Ladarius Green (Concussion), who is listed as questionable for this game.

The last time the Ravens faced this Steelers team, QB Joe Flacco (3,788 yards, 19 TD, 13 INT) threw for 241 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He wasn’t necessarily bad in that win for Baltimore, but he’ll need to be a lot better when the teams meet again on Sunday. The division crown is on the line and Pittsburgh’s offense can be downright explosive. That means that Flacco has to get his group going as well, and one way he can do that is by throwing the ball downfield to WRs Mike Wallace (64 rec, 963 yards, 4 TD) and Steve Smith Sr. (60 rec, 686 yards, 4 TD). Wallace broke free for a 95-yard touchdown when he last faced the Steelers, and his quickness should allow him to make some plays in this one as well. Smith Sr., meanwhile, remains one of the craftier receivers in the league. He is a big game player and knows what is at stake here. Defensively, the Ravens’ first order of business will be slowing down Bell and the Pittsburgh running game. They did just that the last time these teams met, and that made things tougher on the Steelers’ passing game. The blueprint for success is there, and the Ravens just need to execute.

The Steelers are scorching hot right now and RB Le’Veon Bell (1,146 yards, 6 TD) is playing some of the best football of his career coming into this game. Over the past five games, Bell has rushed for an average of 142.6 yards per game. He totaled five rushing touchdowns in that span, and he has also racked up 27 catches for 241 yards in that time as well. It’d be surprising if Bell struggles to find running room the way he did the last time he faced this Ravens team (32 rushing yards on Nov. 6). QB Ben Roethlisberger (3,540 yards, 26 TD, 11 INT) should also be in for a much better game on Sunday. Roethlisberger had just one touchdown and threw an interception the last time he played the Ravens, but he was coming off of a knee injury and had very limited mobility. Since that game, Roethlisberger has thrown for nine touchdowns and only four picks. He and WR Antonio Brown (96 rec, 1,188 yards, 11 TD) should have no problems linking up for a couple of big plays on Sunday. Brown caught a touchdown pass the last time these teams met, and his quarterback should only be in better shape this time around. On the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers need to make sure they are aware of where Mike Wallace is at all times. They can’t afford to get beat deep in this game, as there is very little to worry about when planning against the Ravens’ running attack. That means their focus should be on Flacco’s arm.