Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens Match Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Steelers missed their first chance to clinch the AFC North title when they lost to the Cleveland Browns last week, setting up the opportunity for the Baltimore Ravens to eliminate them in a winner-takes-all showdown for the division at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday. The final game of the 2025 NFL regular season will kick off at 1:20am GMT on Sunday night with live TV coverage on Sky Sports in the UK.

The NFL chose the Ravens’ trip to the Steelers as the finale of the Week 18 programme as drama is guaranteed. The Steelers (9-7) still have the edge in the AFC North over the Ravens (8-8) but whichever team wins the game will claim the title and become the fourth seeds in the AFC playoffs, while the season will be over for the losers. 

The Ravens kept their season alive with an impressive effort in a 41-24 road win over the Green Bay Packers last week, while the Steelers missed their big chance when they lost 13-6 to an already-eliminated Cleveland Browns team in Ohio. Now the Ravens have their future in their own hands again and they have been made favourites to make the most of their opportunity.

Tip 1: Baltimore Ravens -3.5 @ 20/21 with bet365

The Ravens must have thought they had blown their big chance when they lost their first meeting with the Steelers 27-22 at home in Week 14, but they are still in the playoff hunt after winning two of their subsequent three games against the Bengals and the Packers. The Steelers reached 9-6 with wins over the Dolphins and Lions, but their tame effort in Cleveland, when they seemed more intent on preventing Myles Garrett from breaking the single-season sacks record against them than on winning the game, has left them vulnerable to a last-week let down.

The memory of their recent win over the Ravens will help, but they will be all too aware that the star of that victory was wide receiver DK Metcalf, who had 148 receiving yards in that game but will miss this clash due to a suspension he received for an altercation with a fan in Detroit. The Steelers passed for just 168 yards in Cleveland and may need a lot more than that to keep pace with a Ravens offence who ran riot in Green Bay, with Derrick Henry rushing for 216 yards and four touchdowns.

Tip 2: Derrick Henry over 95.5 rushing yards @ 5/6 with bet365

Derrick Henry didn’t score a touchdown in the first meeting between the teams this season but he recorded 94 rushing yards and is worth backing to have at least two more this time. With Keaton Mitchell adding 76 yards and QB Lamar Jackson rushing for 43, the Ravens had a total of 217 yards on the ground in that contest and Henry has raised his game to another level since.

He had 100 rushing yards against the Bengals from just 11 carries, 128 and two touchdowns against the Patriots and 216 and four scores against the Packers, which should give the Steelers defence plenty to think about on Sunday night.

Tip 3: Kenneth Gainwell over 28.5 receiving yards @ 10/11 with bet365

Kenneth Gainwell has played a bigger role in the Steelers offence than some expected in his first season since leaving Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles. Gainwell is second to Jaylen Warren in the team’s rushing yards list and third in receiving yards behind the suspended DK Metcalf and tight end Pat Freiermuth. With Darnell Washington (fourth in the list) also out this week through injury and Calvin Austin (fifth) an injury doubt after missing the game against the Browns, Gainwell could be busy against the Ravens.

The running back has led the team in receiving twice in their last seven games and while he had only three receptions for 12 yards against the Browns, he had posted 46 and 78 receiving yards in his previous two outings and can be fancied to have at least 29 against the Ravens.