Sunday, December 25, 2016

Heinz Field

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The Baltimore Ravens travel to Heinz Field to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, December 25, 2016. The opening line for this game has Pittsburgh as 3.5 point favorites and the over/under was set at 44.5. The Ravens are 6-8-0 against the spread and their over/under record is 6-8-0. The Steelers have an over/under record of 4-10-0 and they are 9-5-0 against the spread.

Joe Flacco finished with 206 yards through the air for Baltimore last week. He completed 16 passes out of 30 attempts for a 53% completion percentage. The Ravens were led in rushing by Terrance West, who finished with 77 yards on 13 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 6 yards per carry. Mike Wallace was the team leader in receiving with a total of 60 yards and 2 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 30 yards per reception. As a team in that game Baltimore got a total of 18 first downs. Of those first downs, 4 came on the ground while 12 came through the air. They ran 57 total plays for 340 yards for the game. The Ravens ran for 151 yards on 24 attempts.

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Ben Roethlisberger finished with 286 yards passing for Pittsburgh last week. He went 21 for 36, resulting in a 58% completion percentage. The Steelers were led on the ground by Le'Veon Bell, who finished with 93 yards on 23 carries. He ended the game with an average of 4 yards per rush. Eli Rogers led the team in receiving with 75 yards and 5 catches. He finished the game with an average of 15 yards per reception. Pittsburgh had 26 first downs total. 7 came from running the ball and 12 came from a pass. They ran 66 total plays for 382 yards for the contest. The Steelers ran for 97 yards on 29 carries as a team.

Baltimore scores 22 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 19th in the NFL. In the passing department, they average 27 passes on 42 attempts for a 64% completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 257 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 11th in the league. The Ravens run for an average of 91 yards per game on 23 attempts for an average of 4 yards per carry. That ranks them 28th in the league. They also run 67 plays per contest and average 5.2 yards per play for an average of 347 yards per game, ranking their offense 18th overall this season. The Ravens average 19 first downs per game which ranks them 19th in the NFL. They accumulate 69.6 penalty yards per game via 8.1 penalties, which ranks 3rd in the league.

Baltimore allows 231 passing yards per game, ranking 10th, and they allow 19 points per contest on defense, which ranks 7th. They give up 23 completions on 37 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 62%. The Ravens allow 82 rushing yards per game on 23 carries for an average of 3.6 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 2nd in the NFL. Baltimore allows 313 total yards per game including 5 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 5th in terms of yards per game. They get flagged for 6.3 penalties for 59.6 yards per game, ranking them 5th among NFL teams.

Pittsburgh averages 24 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 11th in the league. In the passing department, they complete 24 passes per game on 38 attempts for a 63% completion percentage. They throw for 263 yards through the air per game, ranking them 5th. The Steelers run for an average of 112 yards per game on 26 attempts for an average of 4.3 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 10th on the ground. They also run 64 plays per game and average 5.9 yards per play for a total of 375 yards per game, ranking them 7th in the league on offense. The Steelers get an average of 21 first downs per game, which ranks 15th. They average 70 penalty yards per game via 7.1 penalties, ranking them 8th in the NFL.

Pittsburgh allows an average of 245 passing yards per game, which ranks 14th in the league. Their defense overall allows 20 points per contest, which has them ranked 9th. They give up 23 completions on 36 attempts for a completion percentage of 64% per game. The Steelers allow 89 rushing yards per contest on 22 carries for a 4 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 5th in the NFL. Pittsburgh allows 334 total yards per game for an average of 5.5 yards per play, which ranks 8th in the league. They force 6.9 penalties for 56.3 yards in each contest, ranking 14th.

Baltimore Betting Trends

Baltimore is 6-8-0 against the over/under this season

Baltimore has an ATS record of 6-8-0 this season

Pittsburgh Betting Trends

Pittsburgh is 4-10-0 against the over/under this season

Pittsburgh has an ATS record of 9-5-0 this season

Injuries to Watch

Baltimore

12/18/16 G Alex Lewis Ankle "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
12/18/16 CB Jimmy Smith Ankle "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
12/14/16 RB Lorenzo Taliaferro Thigh IR
10/25/16 S Kendrick Lewis Thigh IR
10/12/16 CB Sheldon Price Thigh IR
10/07/16 TE Maxx Williams Knee IR
10/06/16 CB Maurice Canady Thigh IR
09/08/16 DT Carl Davis Undisclosed IR
09/08/16 WR Chris Matthews Undisclosed IR
09/08/16 G De'Ondre Wesley Undisclosed IR
09/08/16 WR Michael Campanaro Calf IR
09/07/16 TE Nick Boyle Suspension expected to miss first 11 games
08/29/16 CB Kyle Arrington Concussion IR

Pittsburgh

12/20/16 DE Stephon Tuitt Knee "?" Sunday vs. Baltimore
12/19/16 TE Ladarius Green Concussion injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Baltimore
12/18/16 WR Darrius Heyward-Bey Foot "?" Sunday vs. Baltimore
12/18/16 RB DeAngelo Williams Knee "?" Sunday vs. Baltimore
12/18/16 S Shamarko Thomas Concussion "?" Sunday vs. Baltimore
11/19/16 DE Cameron Heyward Pectoral IR
11/19/16 WR Markus Wheaton Shoulder IR
11/15/16 LB Steven Johnson Ankle IR
11/08/16 C Cody Wallace Knee IR
10/08/16 T Ryan Harris Shin IR
10/08/16 CB Senquez Golson Foot IR
08/17/16 QB Bruce Gradkowski Hamstring IR
08/11/16 WR Martavis Bryant Suspension out for season

Tony's Pick: Take Pittsburgh -3.5

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