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As the NFL season continues into Week 13, the Pittsburgh Steelers carry a half-game advantage over the Baltimore Ravens for the top spot in the AFC North.
The Ravens, 30-23 victors over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football, appear to be the biggest threat to the Steelers’ shot at winning the division this season. Pittsburgh, who fell 24-19 to another division rival on Thursday Night Football, the Cleveland Browns, now face a juggernaut of a closing schedule with six games remaining.
However, the Ravens also have a tough schedule ahead. The 3-8 Browns are already looking forward to next year, while the Cincinnati Bengals are hanging by a thread with a 4-7 record but an offense that can play spoiler against any opponent they face.
For the Steelers, they began as +1100 underdogs to win the AFC North at the start of the season. While they’re still underdogs to win the division when it’s all said and done, their odds are more favorable, set between +160 and +175 across sports betting sites.
The Ravens, by comparison, are anywhere from -200 to -215. If you’re still looking for somewhere to place your money on Pittsburgh, selecting a reliable and trusted betting operator is halfway to success. In this case, betting without ID is the top pick since it offers anonymous entertainment, and luckily, most of them cover multiple betting markets. Once you have a no-ID site selected, you can use the following information to determine if the Steelers are a solid bet for your money.
Steelers remaining opponents
The Steelers might be looking over their shoulder with six games remaining and the NFL’s eighth-toughest remaining schedule according to Tankathon. Those upcoming opponents include the Cincinnati Bengals (twice), Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and a return date with the Ravens.
Of those teams listed, the Chiefs have a 10-1 record, the Eagles a 9-2 record, and the Ravens are sitting as the only other team with a record above .500 at 8-4.
Of course, the Steelers already took care of the Ravens in a tightly fought first encounter, but that game was played in Pittsburgh, whereas the rematch will be played at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The Ravens rematch will also be played on a Saturday, giving both teams one fewer day of rest and preparation.
We already know the threat that the Ravens are, especially on offense, but the intangible factor will be that the game will follow a trip to Philadelphia, where the Steelers haven’t won a game since 1965.
For clarity, the Steelers have only played in Philly three times this century, and only five total since 1990. So, it’s not as if the two teams are consistent opponents, but that doesn’t negate the fact that the Eagles are playing their best football right now and have one of the harshest environments for visitors. Philadelphia also boasts a top ten scoring offense and defense, with the NFL’s biggest rushing attack led by Saquon Barkley and occasionally their mobile quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Chiefs game could decide it all
The two-time defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs arrive in town for another short week, with a game played on Christmas Day as part of Netflix’ new exclusive arrangement with the NFL. The sideline stories will include luminaries such as Taylor Swift (who dates Chiefs TE Travis Kelce) as well as pop star Ciara, who is married to Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson.
However, the story on the field might be a fight for supremacy for the AFC’s top seed.
The Chiefs dropped their first loss the previous week to the Buffalo Bills, who stand ahead of the Steelers too with a 9-2 record. Kansas City has a .500 strength of schedule for remaining opponents, which is near the middle of the league. Their toughest remaining matchups include the Steelers, Chargers, Texans and Broncos.
The Bills have one of the easiest remaining slates with only the Detroit Lions looming as a credible threat. However, the Los Angeles Rams or San Franciso 49ers could still play spoiler, opening the door for Pittsburgh. However, the Steelers will have to take care of business within their division first, then hope to handle Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Christmas Day for a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker along with a critical AFC conference win, in hopes of leapfrogging either team in front of them.
AFC North record
Should the Steelers not be able to secure the AFC’s lone bye, their path to the postseason is fairly clear but more palatable should they win the division. Pittsburgh had a 5-1 record against AFC North opponents last season, with a lesser talented team.
With standout players like Russell Wilson bringing intensity to the Steelers offense, matchups like these are always exciting and unpredictable, adding even more fuel to the rivalry.
We already saw such with the Browns game on Thursday Night Football, where weather played an equalizer but Wilson was still able to get the Steelers within winning the game. That loss dropped the Steelers to 1-1 in the division, with their other victory coming against the Ravens. They still have a game each to play against Baltimore and Cleveland, with two remaining against Cincinnati.
The path to a home playoff game will be by winning the AFC North. With the Browns distinctly out of the picture, and the Bengals hanging on, the focus shifts to besting Baltimore. The Ravens have a 2-2 split in division games thus far. If the Steelers can split with their Ohio opponents, but sweep the Ravens, they would likely win the division with a 4-2 record – provided they have a better overall win-loss ratio than the Ravens at the end of the season.
Steelers still control their destiny for the postseason and an AFC North title appeared first on Steel City Underground.