ESPN
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Bowen |
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| Mike Clay |
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| Jeremy Fowler |
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| Dan Graziano |
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| Kalyn Kahler |
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| Kimberly Martin |
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| Eric Moody |
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| Jason Reid |
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| Lindsey Thiry |
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| Seth Wickersham |
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BALTIMORE SUN
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Childs Walker |
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Ravens 27, Steelers 19 “If Lamar Jackson plays close to the peaks he reached this season and avoids turnovers, Pittsburgh’s sputtering offense won’t keep up. The Steelers have the pass rush and the big-play capability to make this a closer game than the point spread would suggest. We’ve seen them upend superior Ravens teams in the past five years. They just won’t score quite enough on a cold night in Baltimore.” |
| Brian Wacker |
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Ravens 23, Steelers 16 “If things get ugly and sloppy, though, that will likely spell trouble for Baltimore. But the Ravens’ offense still has enough firepower to outscore what has been a struggling Steelers offense that will have its problems against an ascending defense.” |
| C.J. Doon |
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Ravens 23, Steelers 20 “All these teams do is play nail-biters. I’m not expecting that to change anytime soon, especially with the pressure of the postseason ramped up. In a fun reversal from Week 11, it’s Justin Tucker who saves the day for the Ravens this time around.” |
| Tim Schwartz |
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Ravens 28, Steelers 21 “This should be the Derrick Henry show. The Ravens have to remember what happened in the AFC championship game last year when they abandoned their running game — and therefore their identity. The Steelers won’t be able to keep up offensively with Baltimore, but the home team needs to make sure of that by limiting Pittsburgh’s time of possession and controlling the clock and pace of the game.” |
| Bennett Conlin |
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Ravesn 27, Steelers 14 “A playoff victory over a longtime rival should offer a boost of confidence to Lamar Jackson and company ahead of potential matchups with the Bills and Chiefs.” |
BALTIMORE BANNER
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Jonas Shaffer |
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Ravens 23, Steelers 17 “Even if Pittsburgh makes life difficult for Jackson, I’m not sure where the Steelers can turn for reliable offense themselves. Their run game was one of the NFL’s worst over the second half of the season, and no one inside M&T Bank Stadium would be surprised if wide receiver George Pickens checks out after a rough start. That would leave Pittsburgh in a very bad place.” |
| Kyle Goon |
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Ravens 24, Steelers 13 “Even if there’s a weird energy to this rivalry, Baltimore is still the stronger team in almost every facet, and the need to capitalize on its opportunity has never been higher.” |
| Giana Han |
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Ravens 21, Steelers 17 “Even without Zay Flowers, the Ravens’ offense has many ways to attack. Meanwhile, the disconnect between Russell Wilson and George Pickens seems to have stalled the Steelers’ offense. I think this game will be close, but I’m making a vibes pick and going with the Ravens.” |
| Paul Mancano |
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Ravens 28, Steelers 13 “I really believe the Ravens unlocked something in their Week 16 win [over the Steelers] at M&T Bank Stadium. It was the first meeting between these two teams that was decided by more than one score since 2019. Marlon Humphrey’s fourth-quarter pick six was a collective exhale. Mike Tomlin can pull out whatever stops he likes. He won’t be able to stop the Ravens’ train from rolling.” |
| Brandon Weigel |
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Ravens 28, Steelers 16 “Aside from the uninspiring start to the team’s Week 18 game against a seriously depleted Cleveland Browns squad, the Ravens have looked the part of a team ready to make a deep run. Although the loss of Zay Flowers is cause for alarm, the Ravens have found another gear that the Steelers are incapable of matching.” |
USA TODAY
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrett Bell |
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Ravens 27, Steelers 23 |
| Chris Bumbaca |
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Ravens 26, Steelers 23 |
| Nate Davis |
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Ravens 24, Steelers 17 |
| Tyler Dragon |
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Ravens 27, Steelers 19 |
| Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz |
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Ravens 30, Steelers 16 |
| Lorenzo Reyes |
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Ravens 26, Steelers 21 |
NFL.com
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Ali Bhanpuri |
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Ravens 27, Steelers 17 “The Steelers simply don't have much to hang their hat on right now, while everything is seemingly clicking for their opponent. So unless the Ravens end up beating themselves – by giving up on the run game, missing kicks, reverting back to their early-season defensive ways, etc. – I have a tough time seeing Pittsburgh advance to Round 2.” |
| Brooke Cerosimo |
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Ravens 34, Steelers 23 |
| Dan Parr |
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Ravens 28, Steelers 16 |
| Gennaro Filice |
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Ravens 24, Steelers 16 |
| Tom Blair |
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Ravens 26, Steelers 18 |
NFL NETWORK
| Pundit | Projected Winner | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Rank |
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Ravens 28, Steelers 21 |
| Colleen Wolfe |
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Ravens 25, Steelers 17 |
| Marcas Grant |
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Ravens 27, Steelers 17 |
| Maurice Jones-Drew |
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Ravens 24, Steelers 20 |
| Daniel Jeremiah |
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Ravens 27, Steelers 23 |
| Nick Shook |
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Ravens 30, Steelers 21 |
| Kevin Patra |
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Ravens 24, Steelers 17 |
| Bucky Brooks |
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Ravens 26, Steelers 17 |
| Grant Gordon |
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Ravens 30, Steelers 12 |
| Eric Edholm |
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Ravens 28, Steelers 19 |
SPORTING NEWS
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Vinnie Iyer |
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Ravens 30, Steelers 17 “The Steelers have lost four consecutive games, and after playing QB just right all season with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, Mike Tomlin is suddenly being second-guessed despite yet another above-.500 playoff campaign. The Ravens are riding a four-game winning streak, and Lamar Jackson has been locked in more than ever. Baltimore's pass rush is getting hot at the right time, and Wilson has hit a worrisome wall.” |
CBS SPORTS
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Prisco |
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Ravens 24, Steelers 19 “The Steelers have struggled on offense lately, which is an issue against a high-scoring offense led by Lamar Jackson. But it's tough playing a third game against a division opponent. I think the Steelers will hang around in this one. It's close, but the Ravens take it.” |
| Will Brinson |
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| Jared Dubin |
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| Ryan Wilson |
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| John Breech |
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Ravens 23, Steelers 20 “If the Steelers had shown any signs of life during their four-game losing streak to end the season, I might have picked them to pull off the upset, but instead, I'm going to take the Ravens in a nail-biter.” |
| Tyler Sullivan |
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| Dave Richard |
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| Jamey Eisenberg |
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PRO FOOTBALL TALK
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Florio |
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Ravens 27, Steelers 23 “While the Lamar Jackson postseason narrative and the point spread will put extra pressure on the home team, the Steelers seem to be out of gas. (Still, I’ve gone with the cover because I can’t rule out the Steelers finding a way to stun the No. 3 seed.)” |
| Chris Simms |
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Ravens 35, Steelers 20 “I think the Ravens are gonna whoop that [butt]. The Steelers are done. … I think the Ravens are going to come out on fire. I think it’s going to be the kind of game where it’s like 35-7 and the Steelers are gonna maybe score two later touchdowns to make it look respectable.” |
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Albert Breer |
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| Mitch Goldich |
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| Gilberto Manzano |
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| Conor Orr |
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| John Pluym |
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| Matt Verderame |
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