Free Picks – Ravens vs. Steelers – NFL 2011 Divisional Championship Weekend

Free Picks – Ravens vs. Steelers – NFL 2011 Divisional Championship Weekend: The 2010-11 NFL Divisional Playoffs open with an epic battle when Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA, plays host to the first of four Divisional Championship Weekend match-ups.

The AFC North Division Champion Pittsburgh Steelers face the AFC Wild Card winning Baltimore Ravens. Kickoff is slated for Saturday, January 15, 2011, at 4:30 PM ET on CBS.

Game Day Wagering Lines – Ravens @ Steelers

Superbook.com Spread: Steelers -3 (-125) ~ Ravens +3 (-105)

SportsInteraction.com Money Lines: Ravens +140 ~ Steelers -165

Superbook.com Game Total: 37 (ov-110)

2010 NFL Regular Season – Baltimore – Betting History

12-4 S/U ~ 8-7-1 ATS  ~ 5-2-1 ATS Road ~ 7-9 O/U ~ 3-5 O/U Road

2010 NFL Regular Season – Pittsburgh – Betting History

12-4 S/U ~ 10-6 ATS  ~ 5-3 ATS Home ~ 7-9 O/U ~ 3-5 O/U Home

Steelers – Regular Season Statistics – Ravens

Game Preview – Steelers vs. Ravens – Predictions

Kickoff  Weather Forecast: 32°F ~ Will feel like 22°F  ~ Snow showers, wind SW at 15 mph.

Last Meeting: Pittsburgh 13 vs. Ravens 10 – NFL Week 13 – December 6, 2010.

NFL 2010-11 Divisional Weekend playoff action kicks off as the Baltimore Ravens visit Pittsburgh to battle the Steelers. The Ravens are coming off a huge 30-7 blowout road win at Arrowhead Stadium over the Kansas City Chiefs during 2011 Wild Card Weekend action.

The Chiefs, who won the AFC West Division with a 10-6, scored on their second possession in the first quarter but were held to 114 total yards of offense the rest of the way as the Ravens forced five Kansas City turnovers.

AFC North regular season Champion Pittsburgh Steelers have been kicking back for the last two weeks and resting up for the rubber match of this highly anticipated slobber-knocker at the “Big Ketchup Bottle”.

The Steelers have enjoyed a ton of home cooking down the stretch. Pittsburgh closed out the season in Cleveland (266 miles – round trip) against the Browns. Other than that short trek, they have been home since their Week 13 battle in Baltimore on December 5, 2010.

Both of these teams come into this match-up on a steady roll. Pittsburgh is 4-1 (4-1 ATS) in their last five games while Baltimore is 5-0 (4-1 ATS) over the same stretch. The Steelers had a quality win against these same Ravens and a quality loss to the New York Jets while Baltimore had quality wins over the New Orleans Saints and the aforementioned Chiefs their last five times out.

One could roll out statistic after statistic as the Steelers and Ravens have a long and very rich history. A big statistic is the Ravens 2-8 (5-4-1 ATS) record in their last ten trips to the Steel City. Baltimore broke a run of four straight loses when they won 17-14 at Heinz Field back in Week 4 of the 2010 NFL season.

Another key statistic is the fact that three points have decided the last four games in this series. The biggest fact of all is that these two teams do not like each other in anyway, shape or form. That is not to say that they do not respect each other as is evident by the lack of “billboard” material coming out of either camp during the week. It has been a total opposite to the Jets yapping like parrots at the Patriots all week.

This will be old school, smash each other in the mouth and may the best man win type of football. It is not a game for the faint of heart and we have had a difficult time predicting a winner here.

Out of the four games this weekend, this is the only match-up where one team has the upper hand in all four major statistical categories on offense and defense. The Steelers edge over the Ravens on both sides of the ball albeit by a slim margin in most categories. They only significant statistic the Ravens can lay claim to is the all important turnover differential where Baltimore has a stellar .04 rate while the Steelers come in with a 1.1 differential.

This is a very even match-up and we will be leaving it off our betting card this weekend. We like the roll the Ravens have been on but we wonder how much gas they have left in the tank. If the situation was reversed and this game was being played in Baltimore, with the Ravens coming off a bye week, we would be all over the Ravens. The Steelers are well rested and they are getting All World S Troy Polamalu as well as CB Bryant McFadden back from injury.

If we were betting with your money, we would pay the added juice and back the Steelers. With each team sporting double-digit rankings on pass defense, and single-digit rankings against the run, don’t be surprised if they decide to air it out and push the game total OVER.

NFL 2010-11 Divisional Free Picks: Steelers -3 ~ Steelers -165 ~ OVER 37 points

Game Day Wagering Lines – Steelers vs. Ravens – AFC Playoff Bonus Offers

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