ExtremeRavens Posted 6 hours ago Posted 6 hours ago The Steelers own a one-game lead in the AFC North in mid-November, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh says his 5-5 team is “just above water.” That scenario might’ve felt dire in late August, but sportsbooks disagree with Harbaugh’s assessment. The Ravens are a significant betting favorite to win the division despite trailing in the standings. FanDuel gives Baltimore -280 odds to win the AFC North, with Pittsburgh (6-4) holding +260 odds. The sportsbook suggests it’s a two-team race, with Cincinnati ( holding +2500 odds. The Browns have +30000 odds, as their fans might as well shift their focus to the NFL draft. “Yes, it’s a down year for the Ravens,” CBS Sports betting analyst Mackenzie Brooks said this week. “Turns out it’s a down year for just about everyone else in the AFC.” She makes a good point. Typical AFC contenders in the Bills and Chiefs are both underdogs to win their respective divisions with the Patriots and Broncos surpassing expectations. Power ratings — most computer models still view Baltimore as a top NFL team despite a 1-5 start — and strength of schedule both play an important role in the current AFC North odds. Baltimore’s remaining strength of schedule is the 21st toughest in the NFL, according to ESPN data. Pittsburgh’s ranks ninth. The Steelers also have a significant injury issue to monitor. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers injured his left wrist and could miss at least one game because of the injury. Mason Rudolph is the team’s backup quarterback, should Rodgers miss time. The Steelers play the Bears, Bills and Ravens in the coming three weeks. Interestingly, Baltimore began the year as a -155 favorite to win the division. Despite starting 1-5 and dealing with a rash of injuries, the Ravens actually have better odds to win the AFC North than before the first week of the season. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson has played in three straight games after a hamstring injury kept him out of the preceding three games. The Ravens are 4-3 in games started by Jackson in 2025, winning the past three. The Ravens’ defense is also improving, holding opponents to under 20 points in five straight weeks after doing that just once in the first five games of the year. “We hope that one day — one of these games — the defense is going to go play lights-out, offense is going to play lights-out,” safety Kyle Hamilton said after Sunday’s win over the Browns. “But it’s not guaranteed in this league, and it rarely happens. … It doesn’t matter what the situation is in the game, if there’s a blade of grass to defend, we’re going to defend it.” Super Bowl odds Winning the AFC North title is one thing. Winning the Super Bowl takes more than gritty wins over Cleveland. After starting the year as the favorite to lift the Lombardi Trophy come February, the Ravens’ odds have plummeted, even amid their four-game winning streak. The Ravens sit at +1300 to win the championship on FanDuel, the eighth shortest odds of any team in the NFL. The Eagles (+500), Rams (+650), Bills (+800), Colts (+1000), Chiefs (+1000), Lions (+1100) and Seahawks (+1200) all hold shorter odds. Baltimore is 0-4 against those teams this season. These are the 10 teams with the shortest odds via FanDuel to win the Super Bowl: Eagles, +500 Rams, +650 Bills, +800 Colts, +1000 Chiefs, +1000 Lions, +1100 Seahawks, +1200 Ravens, +1300 Broncos, +1400 Packers, +1500 At least one analyst isn’t counting Baltimore out yet despite its .500 record through 10 games. “If this team gets to the postseason, and I think they will, who’s going to want to play them?” CBS analyst Pete Prisco said during an NFL Week 11 recap show. “You look at them and you compare them to the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. They get in, who would you rather play?” Prisco mentioned regular-season successes followed by postseason failures defining the Lamar Jackson era. “Well, this year, maybe it’s the opposite,” Prisco said. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article Quote
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