The 13-3 Baltimore Ravens face the 9-7 Pittsburgh Steelers at home this weekend. So why are the Ravens not only underdogs, but underdogs by more than a field goal?
According to ESPN Bet via Ravens insider Jamison Hensley, the Ravens are currently 3.5-point underdogs in Saturday’s game. But Hensley noted that it’s widely expected that the Ravens will rest star quarterback Lamar Jackson along with other starters.
The Ravens have the best record in the AFC and have already clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs. There’s only risk and no reward for beating the Steelers this weekend if their goal is to win a Super Bowl.
That doesn’t mean that the Ravens are guaranteed to lose the game though. The Steelers could still trip over themselves – as they have several times this season – and wind up losing anyway.
The Ravens are underdogs for just the third time this season.
The Steelers are favored by 3.5 points for Saturday’s game in Baltimore, per @ESPNBet. Ravens are 2-0 as underdogs.
The expectation, of course, is the Ravens will rest Lamar Jackson and a handful of other starters.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 3, 2024
There is some motivation for the Ravens to play though. A win would knock the Steelers out of the playoffs and hand them their first losing season in over 15 years.
But the Ravens backups can probably worry about that aspect of it.
Will the Ravens play their backups against Pittsburgh? Will the Steelers get gifted a win and their ninth win of the season?