NFL Expert Picks, Week 17: Experts leaning towards the Ravens on Sunday night

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are slated to face off in Week 17 of the 2022 regular season, and there are a lot of narratives between these two teams. For the Ravens, they are trying to show they are not just limping into the playoffs, but can actually make some noise. As for the Steelers, they are hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive by doing their part by winning the final two games of the regular season. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team, and there remain huge question marks with the team as they continue further into the regular season.

For those who follow the current betting lines, the Steelers opened as 4-point road underdogs, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Since that opening line, the odds have changed to the Steelers as 2.5-point underdogs in Week 17.

(Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.)

At this point, it is time to check in and see who the pundits, who call themselves experts, like in this showdown in Baltimore this Sunday.

As you can imagine, this game is a true toss-up. It seems since the bye week there have been very few games the Steelers have played which have had the experts swaying one way or another. This would be yet another one of those games. Regardless of where you look, there seems to be a split belief between these two bitter rivals.

There are sites where people just check a box on a website and move on with their lives. However, there are some who spend more time pouring over these picks, and provide some analysis than just a winner and loser.

For those type of experts, one which is talked about a lot is Pete Prisco of CBS Sports. Prisco predicts a Ravens win in Week 17.

The Steelers are still alive, but barely, while the Ravens are pushing for the division title. Baltimore still isn’t doing a lot on offense, but the defense is playing well. The Steelers beat the Raiders on a last-minute touchdown to keep their hopes alive. This will be a low-scoring defensive game with the Ravens winning it late.

Pick: Ravens 19, Steelers 17

Like Prisco, Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News also goes in-depth on every one of his picks heading into Week 17 Sunday. Iyer also sees a Ravens win.

This game was flexed down, and it is tough to pick knowing that Lamar Jackson’s status remains uncertain. Baltimore won the first meeting 16-14 despite rushing for just 94 yards. Three Pittsburgh turnovers helped. With the Ravens still set up to possibly win the AFC North, the home-field advantage matters.

Pick: Ravens 21, Steelers 17

As for Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, he likes the Steelers to go into Baltimore and find a way to win.

It’s another prime-time game that won’t have many points. These are the top two rush defenses in the second half of the season, but I trust Pittsburgh to generate yards more consistently if Baltimore starts Tyler Huntley again. The Steelers probably won’t get enough help to make the playoffs, but they are playing better than the rest of the No. 7 contenders.

Pick: Steelers 16, Ravens 14

At the Pro Football Network, they too like the Ravens to win in Week 17 in prime time.

In Week 18 last year, the Steelers pushed past the injury-depleted Ravens for the final AFC playoff slot. This year, Pittsburgh needs a few things to break right to return to the postseason, beginning with an upset road win over one of their biggest rivals.

I picked Pittsburgh to win and cover last week because I liked how they matched up against the Raiders. Not so with Baltimore, which boasts a better defense and a fresher backfield.

Against-the-spread prediction: Ravens

Moneyline winner: Ravens

These are just a few sites who make weekly NFL picks. When you think about all those sites not listed above, this is when we turn to our friends at NFL Pick Watch, a site dedicated to tracking NFL expert picks by the week. They take all expert picks and put them into an easy-to-read graph for fans to enjoy. When it comes to the Steelers vs. Ravens game, a whopping 70% of NFL experts like the Ravens straight up, but only 54% of the experts like the Ravens to hold serve and cover the 2.5-point spread on Sunday.

What do you think about the upcoming game? Will the experts have it right? Or are they way off? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and 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 17.