AFC Championship Game: Ravens (13-5) at Steelers (13-4)

Don’t buy that garbage that it’s hard for a team in the NFL to beat another team three times in a season, as the Pittsburgh Steelers will be attempting to do in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Since the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, a team attempting to complete a three-game sweep has been successful 11 of 18 times. And this is the fifth time that two teams have met in a conference title game after a 2-0 sweep during the season. Three of the four previous times, the team that won the first two games completed the sweep.

So there. And the Steelers are 6-point favorites to repeat the feat on WagerWeb.com.

Perhaps the best bet here is the under of 34 on WagerWeb.com. These two teams, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in defense, combined for just 65 total points in the two close Pittsburgh wins in the regular season (by comparison, the Eagles and Cards combined for 68 in their one meeting).

Pittsburgh would seem to have a huge edge injury-wise. The Steelers are pretty well healthy, with that bye week doing them a lot of good. Baltimore is not so lucky (it has played for 17 straight weeks, and it is beginning to show). The team’s best cornerback, Samari Rolle, is doubtful with a thigh injury suffered in last week’s upset of Tennessee. Frank Walker would likely get the start.

In addition, Pro Bowl defensive end/linebacker Terrell Suggs is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury and will be a game-time decision. Suggs is easily the team’s best pass-rusher and had a sack in each of the first two meetings with Pittsburgh. That could be a huge loss, as the Steelers are apt to giving up the sack. Although, to be fair, the Pittsburgh O-Line has improved lately. After allowing 29 sacks in the first eight games of the regular season, it allowed just 20 in the final eight.

The Steelers saw a rejuvenated Willie Parker last week, as he put up 146 yards and two touchdowns on San Diego, but the Ravens simply don’t allow 100-yard rushers and have held Parker to 43.7 rushing yards per game with no touchdowns on the ground in six career games against them.

The question is whether Baltimore will be able to do anything on the Steeler defense. The Ravens rushed for just 50 yards last week in Tennessee, and QB Joe Flacco is completing just 44.4 percent of his passes with one touchdown in the playoffs. Flacco had a combined passer rating of 53.4 in two starts against Pittsburgh. But the rookie isn’t turning the ball over, and Baltimore led the league with 34 takeaways in the regular season and has an 8-to-1 turnover advantage in its two playoff wins.

These two teams have split the past eight meetings, with five of those - including the last three – being decided by six points or fewer. Pittsburgh has won seven of the past eight in this series in the Steel City. But the Steelers are 1-4 in their last five championship games at home, 0-2 at Heinz Field.

This is the first time since 1999 that two teams from the same division will square off in the conference championship, and it’s the second time since 1970 that teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in total defense have met this deep in the playoffs.

WagerWeb.com Game Trends
* Ravens are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.
* Ravens are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Ravens are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 vs. AFC.
* Ravens are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 playoff road games.
* Ravens are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. AFC North.
* Ravens are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games following a S.U. win.
* Ravens are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game.
* Ravens are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog.
* Ravens are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Ravens are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing less than 15 points in their previous game.
* Ravens are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.
* Ravens are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Ravens are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
* Ravens are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Ravens are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games on grass.
* Ravens are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 playoff games.
* Ravens are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games in January.
* Ravens are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games as an underdog of 3.5-10.0.
* Ravens are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
* Ravens are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0.
* Steelers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. AFC North.
* Steelers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games in January.
* Steelers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 playoff games.
* Steelers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.
* Steelers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite.
* Steelers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Steelers are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Steelers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
* Steelers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. win.
* Steelers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. AFC.
* Steelers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.
* Steelers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Steelers are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
* Steelers are 23-8 ATS in their last 31 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0.
* Steelers are 23-11-1 ATS in their last 35 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
* Steelers are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Steelers are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
* Steelers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Conference Championships games.
* Under is 5-0 in Ravens last 5 games following a S.U. win.
* Under is 4-0 in Ravens last 4 playoff games.
* Under is 5-0 in Ravens last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 4-0 in Ravens last 4 vs. AFC.
* Over is 7-1-2 in Ravens last 10 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
* Over is 6-1-1 in Ravens last 8 games as an underdog of 3.5-10.0.
* Over is 6-1 in Ravens last 7 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game.
* Under is 5-1 in Ravens last 6 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
* Under is 5-1 in Ravens last 6 games on grass.
* Under is 5-1-1 in Ravens last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-1 in Ravens last 6 games overall.
* Over is 5-1-1 in Ravens last 7 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0.
* Over is 4-1 in Ravens last 5 vs. AFC North.
* Over is 4-1-1 in Ravens last 6 games as a road underdog.
* Over is 4-1-1 in Ravens last 6 games as an underdog.
* Under is 4-1-1 in Ravens last 6 games in January.
* Under is 4-1 in Ravens last 5 games after allowing less than 15 points in their previous game.
* Over is 4-1 in Ravens last 5 games after accumulating less than 250 total yards in their previous game.
* Under is 4-1 in Ravens last 5 playoff games as an underdog.
* Over is 5-2-1 in Ravens last 8 road games.
* Over is 4-0 in Steelers last 4 Conference Championships games.
* Over is 8-1 in Steelers last 9 playoff home games.
* Over is 6-1 in Steelers last 7 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
* Over is 6-1 in Steelers last 7 playoff games as a favorite.
* Over is 11-2 in Steelers last 13 playoff games.
* Over is 5-1 in Steelers last 6 playoff games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
* Over is 13-3-1 in Steelers last 17 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Over is 16-5 in Steelers last 21 games in January.
* Over is 12-4 in Steelers last 16 vs. AFC.
* Over is 5-2 in Steelers last 7 games following a S.U. win.
* Over is 38-16-2 in Steelers last 56 home games.
* Over is 14-6 in Steelers last 20 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Over is 42-18-2 in Steelers last 62 games as a home favorite.
* Over is 29-13-2 in Steelers last 44 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0.
* Over is 15-7-1 in Steelers last 23 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Pittsburgh.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
* Ravens are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 meetings.
* Underdog is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

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