Sunday Night Football Picks: Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers

by Mike Allen - 1/2/2026

It hasn’t played out like many of us thought it would, but the AFC North has come down to one game to win the division between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. How good is this?

It’s the final game of the regular season. These are two bitter rivals who have essentially been the kings of their division for as long as most of us can remember. Sure, the Bengals had a couple of good years, but their GM is trash and I’ve never been impressed with the head coach, but I digress.

Before we go any further, I have to say WE have had our best year ever. I understand it’s only about a 50-game sample size this season picking the primetime games and one basic strategy Wong teaser per week, but like the polarizing Bill Cosby once said, the proof is in the pudding pops. Or was it the quaaludes?

Nevertheless, through Week 16 before I picked up this black mold poisoning, our winning percentage and return on investment have been nuclear. Week 17 was tough for everyone but anways.

Doc’s Sports offers NFL expert picks for every game on our NFL predictions page.

We were 11-5 on basic strategy teasers graded at (-120) for an ROI of 26%. If you count how many total points we’ve won by, it comes out to an average of nearly 21 points per teaser.

We unsuccessfully experimented with team totals finishing with a record of 3-6 but even then, we had a positive point differential of +16.

We were 9-1 on game point totals with an average of +9.5 points per game. Graded at (-110), that’s a ridiculous ROI of a sexy 72%.

We went 2-0 on first half team totals, 1-1 on moneyline bets, and 0-1 on a player prop for George Pickens to go over his receiving yards total in Week 1. This wasn’t the worst idea but the lesson we learned there is that it typically takes a quarterback and wide receiver some time to develop chemistry.

Week 1 was his lowest receiving yard total for the season and the guy is currently 3rd in the NFL in receiving yards.

Losses are lessons. And in this business when you’re losing money, it’s hard to dwell on them. If you want to be the best, though, you must analyze before, during, and especially after the game whether you win or lose.

Most people win and then they celebrate. If they lose, they don’t want to focus on the butthurt, so they just move on. Not us. That’s not how we roll.

Our record for game point totals and spreads this season, picking the games days ahead mind you was 26-8 with an ROI of 46%.

Maybe somebody out there had a better year… but gun to my head, no, they didn’t.

Forgive me. I’m trying to cultivate the confidence to pick this week’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Ravens and home Pittsburgh Steelers.

Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5)

Point Total: 41.5

Moneyline Odds

Ravens: -200

Steelers: +160

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Analysis

This is a tough one. D.K. Matcalf’s idiotic self is still suspended and the Pittsburgh offense looked worse than normal last week without him. Then you have Lamar Jackson, whose leg is banged up and slowing him down.

Both of these point toward thiis game going under the point total of 41.5. This matchup has 20-17 written all over it. It’s Pittsburgh in January. The game will be cold but there is no precipitation in the forecast, nor any winds higher than 8 MPH.

T.J. Watt is also coming back, so the under is looking juicy. Enter Derrick Henry. He had his best game of the season last week, scoring 4 touchdowns, against a stout Packer defense, mind you.

A heavy dose of Henry means the clock will tick. No Metcalf means Pittsburgh may have to settle for field goals, and Jackson is banged up.

There are enough factors than not that point toward these teams going under the total.

We have the best handicappers in the world here at Doc’s Sports. There are too many variables to pick a side with confidence so just go with, the under 41.5.

I lean toward Baltimore but they have the hook at (-2.5) Let’s hit that total.

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Pick

Under 41.5 Points

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Start:	January 3, 2026 @ 3:30 PM
Expert:	Tony George
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Sunday Night Football Picks: Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers

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