Will Lamar Jackson finally end his struggles against the Steelers when the Ravens host their divisional rivals on Saturday? Read on for our Steelers vs. Ravens Same Game Parlay.
Steelers vs. Ravens Same Game Parlay: Lamar Jackson over 1.5 Touchdown Passes (-102)
I’m coming out swinging.
By now, you’re probably aware of how much Jackson has struggled against the Steelers. The Ravens are just 1-4 against Pittsburgh with Jackson as their starter. The entire team struggled against the Steelers in Week 11 and Jackson was no exception. He had a season-low 48.5% completion rate in that game and threw for just 6.3 yards per attempt. Pittsburgh’s usage of Cover-1 continues to befuddle Lamar.
So why back him today? There are several reasons. For starters, I’m banking on the talent. At some point, Lamar will go off against this Pittsburgh team. He’s just too good to be contained.
This is also a good time to attack the Steelers, who just allowed Jalen Hurts of the Eagles to complete 25-of-32 passes for 9.1 yards per attempt, with two touchdowns last week in Philly. Pittsburgh has now allowed multiple touchdown passes in three straight games. Their opponents accomplished that just once through the Steelers’ first 11 games.
Finally, the Ravens need a win today badly. This season, they’ve morphed back and forth between resembling one of the best teams in the NFL, to looking like a squad that could be one-and-done in the playoffs. At 9-5, the Ravens still have an opportunity to supplant the 10-4 Steelers as the top team in the AFC North, but not if they lose today.
Steelers vs. Ravens Same Game Parlay: Russell Wilson under 207.5 passing yards (-110)
Wilson has struggled without George Pickens the past two weeks. Without his leading receiver and deep threat, Wilson threw for 158 yards against Cleveland two weeks ago and 128 yards versus Philadelphia last Sunday. In both instances, Wilson fell under his passing total.
The Ravens pass defense has had issues this season, but Wilson didn’t exactly light Baltimore up in Week 11. He threw for just 5.7 yards per attempt, with zero touchdowns and an interception. The Steelers won the game because of their defense and kicker Chris Boswell, not to mention some self-inflicted mistakes by Baltimore.
Without Pickens, I don’t see Wilson rebounding this afternoon. The Ravens pass defense has been better at home than on the road, allowing 7.0 yards per attempt (15th), a 4.2% touchdown rate (18th) and an 8.6% sack rate (7th) according to Sharp Football. They’ve also faced Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts as part of that sample, so it’s not like they put up those numbers against lousy signal-callers.
Steelers vs. Ravens Same Game Parlay: Rashod Bateman Anytime Touchdown (+230)
If I’m taking a risk on Lamar throwing for over 1.5 touchdowns, I might as well add one of his pass-catchers, no?
Bateman only saw five targets last week against the Giants but he caught three of those passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns. He has seven touchdowns on the season after finding the end zone only four times over his first three seasons in the league.
The Ravens tried to upgrade their wide receiver room by acquiring former Steeler Diontae Johnson from the Panthers. That said, the team waived Johnson this week and appear to be all-in on the current group of pass-catchers. Given the chemistry that Lamar has had recently with Bateman, I’ll roll the dice that the pair connect once again today.
NFL Same Game Parlay Odds: +717 (Fanduel Sportsbook)
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