NFL Expert Picks, Week 12: Experts foresee trouble for the depleted Ravens

I have to be honest, I’ve been meaning to sit down and work on this article now for the past 4-5 days. Every time I go to write what the experts think of the Week 12 showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, it gets delayed.

First, from Thanksgiving to Sunday.

Then from Sunday to Tuesday.

Next from Tuesday to Wednesday.

At this point, the experts are just a day away from making their Week 13 picks for the NFL slate of games! Nonetheless, I decided to dig back in the archives of Week 12 NFL picks to see what the experts thought about the upcoming game against the Baltimore Ravens.

It should be noted almost all of these picks were made before the COVID-19 outbreak ran rampant through the Ravens’ organization. Therefore, if you see experts thinking this game will be close, that might be a reason why.

Nonetheless, let’s get to the expert picks...

One of the experts we always check in with is CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco. See what he thinks about this upcoming game:

This is a bigger game for the Ravens, who are almost in survival mode now. But the Steelers are pushing forward for an undefeated season and can basically lock up the division with a win here. The Ravens have struggled to throw it, which is not a good thing against the Steelers. The Ravens will fight and keep in this game, but the Steelers will win it late — just like the last meeting.

Pick: Steelers 29, Ravens 23

The folks at the Sporting News also gave an early look at the outcome of the Steelers vs. Ravens second meeting of the regular season. See what they had to say:

The Ravens have lost three of their last four games, and they have been limited to 24 points or less in the last four games. Baltimore will play with a sense of desperation, but they must get to Ben Roethlisberger – who has averaged 302 passing yards per game the last three weeks.

Pick: Steelers 29, Ravens 26

There are obviously places with experts who do nothing but pick winners, with no explanation. At ESPN, the largest expert panel on the internet, there is only one person on the 10-person panel who thinks the Ravens can pull off the upset at Heinz Field Wednesday. As for the haters here at SB Nation, there are some stragglers who are predicting a Steelers loss, but it is unknown if these picks were made before, or after, the coronavirus outbreak.

These are just a handful of websites who submit weekly picks, but what about all the other sites who have experts take a stab at the winner of NFL games? This is where our friends at NFL Pick Watch come in and lend a helping hand. They take all expert picks and put them in an easy-to-read graph for fans to enjoy.

According to NFL Pick Watch, 85% of experts believe it will be the Steelers who advance their record to 11-0. This is all assuming they will eventually play. It seems obvious the experts like the Steelers in this game, but that is why they play the game.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the Ravens in Week 12.