Big Bad Ravens Host Division Rival – January 6

The Baltimore Ravens will host AFC North rival Pittsburgh this afternoon with the conference’s No. 1 seed in the bag already. The Ravens are 13-3 – the best record in the NFL – and head coach John Harbaugh has already decided to sit MVP candidate Lamar Jackson. He will not play against the Steelers. Backup Tyler Huntley will start in his place.

The Ravens have nothing to gain or lose in today’s game. They will be the top seed in the AFC regardless of the outcome against the Steelers. In addition to Jackson, it is likely that the Ravens will have several starters not play a full game. Pittsburgh is in a must win situation. If the Steelers win, they have a shot at the postseason but will need some help.

Are the Ravens the Best Team in the NFL?

The Ravens are No. 2 in scoring offense this season averaging 29.6 points per game. In their current six-game winning streak, the Ravens have scored 33 or more points four times. They are equally dominant on defense. They lead the NFL in scoring defense giving up just 16.4 points per game. With the best record and the top defense and one of the top offenses, the Ravens are one of the best in the NFL. Are they the best?

What’s interesting is that Baltimore is not the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl. That title belongs to San Francisco. The 49ers are listed at +210 to win Super Bowl LVIII. The Ravens are given +350 odds. On Dec. 26, Baltimore completely dismantled the Niners 33-19. The Ravens intercepted San Francisco QB Brock Purdy four times and made a statement as a 6.5-point underdog. 

Jackson is listed anywhere between -20000 and -6000 to win the NFL MVP award. He has thrown for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns. Jackson is the Ravens leading rusher with 821 yards and he has five more scores on the ground. Last week, the Ravens were once more put to the test. They passed with flying colors. Jackson went 18-for-21, threw for 321 yards, and had five touchdown passes in a 56-19 rout of the Miami Dolphins. 

Two Picks and $445 Later

In classic ‘drop-the-mic’ fashion, our resident soccer expert Geovanny Araya topped yesterday’s leaderboard. Geovanny made just two picks but walked away with $445 after correctly predicting not one, but two draws. His performance yesterday earned him the No. 1 spot on the leaderboard.

A number of other Sports Hub experts were found among yesterday’s top-10. It’s sure to happen again tomorrow. Our cappers are all over the two NFL games today. There are already over a dozen NFL picks in our database and there will be lots more to come. 

Let’s see how our guys did yesterday. 

• Geovanny: We already mentioned Geovanny’s performance…2-0 and $445 for correctly picking two draws in international soccer.
• Jimmy & Evan: Jimmy Liu and Evan Lewis both went 3-0 and won $300 yesterday. With his wins yesterday, Jimmy is now up $475 over the last three days and $1613 over the last 30. Evan is 7-1 over the last three days and has earned $590.
• Jhon, Al & Patrick: Three more Sports Hub experts went 2-0 and won $200 to end up in yesterday’s top-10. Jhon Walsh was one of them and he’s now 8-2 over the last three days with $580 in winnings. Al Grant has been killing it recently, winning 58.62 percent of his picks over the last 30 days. He’s up $1118 over that span. Patrick Doyle hit both of his college basketball picks yesterday and is up $350 for the week.
• Seth & William: It’s worth noting that on our 30-day leaderboard the top two spots are taken by Sports Hub exclusive handicappers. Seth Cohen has hit on 66.3 percent of his picks and is up $2690! Right behind him is William Taylor who has nailed 60.15 percent of his picks for $2095 over the last month.

Lakers on a Four-Game Skid

The Los Angeles Lakers are trending for the wrong reason right now. Since winning the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament, things haven’t gone so well for the purple and gold. The Lakers lost their fourth game in a row last night, dropping a 127-113 decision to Memphis.

There’s more bad news in the NBA. The Warriors will be without another key player for the next several weeks. What’s up with Bill Belichick? He’s trending at the moment too.

Read on to learn more.

• Lakers: The Lakers lost their fourth game in a row last night. Since beating Indiana to win the in-season tournament on Dec. 9, the Lakers have exactly three wins. They are 3-10 in that span which has dropped their record to 17-19. They are now 11th in the Western Conference standings.

• CP3: Chris Paul will undergo surgery on his broken hand. He suffered the injury last night in the Warriors win over the Pistons. Paul is averaging 8.9 points and 7.2 assists per game. There is no set timetable for his return, though it will be this season.
• Belichick: The Patriots are just 4-12 and finish the season tomorrow against the Jets. Since Tom Brady left the Patriots prior to the 2020 season, New England is 29-37. The Patriots made the playoffs in 2021 but were eliminated in the wild card round in a 47-17 loss to Buffalo. It hasn’t been said out loud yet but…will Bill Belichick be let go by owner Robert Kraft?

Ravens-Steelers, College Basketball Top Schedule

The Ravens will host the Steelers in a meaningless game for Baltimore, but one that means everything for the Steelers. Pittsburgh needs a win to have a chance at earning a wild card. The Ravens will have next week off and then host the lowest-remaining seed in the divisional round.

Here’s what today’s schedule has to offer.

1. Saturday NFL: If you didn’t know by now, the Baltimore Ravens are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers today at 4:30 p.m. In the primetime game, Houston is at Indianapolis in another game with playoff implications. The Texans clinch a playoff spot with a win. The Colts need some help.
2. College basketball: The college basketball schedule today is a big one. There are several dozen games. North Carolina plays at Clemson in a battle of ranked ACC opponents. No. 22 Ole Miss is at No. 5 Tennessee in an SEC Clash.

3. NHL: Saturday is a big day in the NHL. There are 12 games throughout the day. It all starts with Calgary at Philadelphia at 1:00 p.m. ET. The day’s games end with Ottawa at Edmonton and the New York Islanders at Vegas. Both of those games drop the puck at 10:00 p.m. ET.
4. NBA: The NBA had a big night last night. Today, there are only four games on the schedule. The Celtics and Pacers play in Indiana. Both teams played last night and both won. The Pacers put up 150 points on Atlanta. Boston beat Utah by 29.
5. Soccer: The English FA Cup schedule is large. Matches are underway already and will continue throughout the day. There are also over a dozen matches in the Coupe de France. There are four matches in La Liga with one already completed. Check our database for soccer picks…especially those from Geovanny Araya.
6. Tennis: The Brisbane International has reached the quarterfinals. The women are also in the quarterfinals. No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka is still alive. The ASB Classic continues for both the men and women and the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open continues today for the men. The Adelaide International just started yesterday.  The Workday Canberra International continues today on the WTA Tour. Two more tournaments – the Hobart International and the Adelaide International – started yesterday.
7. Golf: Scottie Scheffler leads The Sentry after two rounds. He was the favorite to win it and is the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer. Third round play begins later today.

There is something for everyone today. The betting boards are full. Enjoy the Ravens-Steelers and Texans-Colts games. They are a little teaser before tomorrow’s main course of NFL Week 18 games. Get yourself prepped and ready to go by visiting our NFL Week 18 picks page. There is a ton of information there as well as the best picks for the week. Don’t forget to check the database for picks too. Have a great Saturday!