Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

Most of the top rivalries in the National Football League have been around for decades, but this isn’t one of them. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens began their rivalry in 1996, but it has quickly grown into one of the best in the NFL.

The Steelers and Ravens have both had a ton of success since the 1996 season, and they have met in the postseason four times already. Every year either the Steelers or Ravens are the early prediction to win the AFC North, and these teams deliver year after year.

Pittsburgh and Baltimore are two of the greatest cities in the Eastern half of the United States, and they love their football teams. The Steelers and Ravens always field terrific defensive teams, and there is plenty of heavy hitting when these teams meet on the football field.

History of Steelers vs. Ravens Rivalry

The Pittsburgh Steelers welcomed the Baltimore Ravens to the National Football League with a 31-17 victory on September 8, 1996. Pittsburgh and Baltimore have met a total of 50 times since that 1996 meeting, and Pittsburgh leads the series by a count of 28-22.

Pittsburgh has won three of the four postseason matchups in this rivalry, but they have all been terrific battles. The Steelers had the better of the Ravens in the first two decades of this rivalry, but Baltimore is starting to shift the balance of power a little bit.

While there are two other teams in the AFC North Division, the Steelers and Ravens typically going head to head for the division title. Baltimore got the better of the Steelers in 2018, but odds are that the Steelers will bounce back in 2019.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were founded in 1933, making them the oldest franchise in the American Football Conference. Pittsburgh is also one of the most storied franchises in NFL history, and they have a total of six Super Bowl Championships.

The Steelers have made 31 playoff appearances in team history, with 30 of those coming since the 1972 season. The “Steel Curtain” helped lead the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles from 1974-1979 and is widely considered one of the best teams in NFL history.

There have been a ton of NFL legends that have worn the iconic black and gold uniforms of the Steelers, and their current roster is full of future Hall of Famers. When you talk about the most important teams in the NFL, Pittsburgh deserves some recognition.

The Baltimore Ravens were founded in 1996 when Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell decided to move his team to Baltimore. Modell was allowed to take his entire team and personnel to Baltimore with him, and the Ravens were able to get off to a quick start.

Since 1996, the Ravens have been one of the most successful teams in the NFL, and they have been able to win a pair of Super Bowl championships. Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis was the clear leader of the team and led one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history. The Ravens still have a long way to go to reach the success of their most hated rival, but they are well on their way.

Head to Head Analysis of Steelers vs. Ravens Rivalry

Even though this rivalry is still relatively new, it is too difficult to look at the overall head-to-head standings and try to make predictions for the upcoming seasons. If we take a look at the last 20 games between the Steelers and Ravens, it should help us identify some trends and help make some picks moving forward.

The last 20 games between Pittsburgh and Baltimore have all occurred since the 2010 season, and there have been two playoff games in the mix. The Baltimore Ravens hold a slim 11-9 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the last 20 games, with the two teams splitting the two playoff matchups. The Ravens got the better of the Steelers both in Baltimore and in Pittsburgh.

The Ravens went 5-4 against the Steelers in games played in Baltimore, and they also won six of the eleven games that were played in Pittsburgh. Odds are that the Steelers will likely even the score in the coming years, but the Ravens have had the slight edge in the last 9 seasons.

In order to get an even better feel for this rivalry, we need to take a deeper look at some of the splits for the last 20 games between these two teams. Looking at the point spreads and the lines for total points can help us get a clearer picture of what to expect in 2019 and beyond. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens combined to go “over” the point total just eight times during the last 20 games.

The two teams went “under” the total point line eleven times, while they also “pushed” when the number was set at 47.0 points. This is about what we would expect when these two defensive-minded teams take the field against one another. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the betting favorite in 12 of the last 20 games.

Pittsburgh went just 4-8 against the spread as the betting favorite, so that might be something to look at in the future. The Ravens were just as bad when they were the favorite, covering the spread in just two of the eight games that they were the favorite. If the past 20 games are any indication of what is to come, betting the “under” and whichever team is the underdog are the right picks.

A Glance at Postseason Success in Steelers vs. Ravens Rivalry

The Pittsburgh Steelers are obviously one of the most storied franchises in professional football, but the Baltimore Ravens are still a relatively new franchise. Pittsburgh has a clear and distinct advantage in postseason accomplishments in the history of the NFL, but for this comparison we are going to look at games starting when the Ravens entered the league.

Since 1996, both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers have won a pair of Super Bowl Championships. The Steelers have made it to the Super Bowl a total of three times, but they were only able to beat the odds and win it all twice. Pittsburgh has a clear edge in division championships, winning 11 AFC Central and North Division titles since the Ravens came into the league.

Baltimore has managed to win just five Division titles, with all of them coming since the 2003 season. The Steelers have made 14 postseason appearances since 1996, while the Ravens have been a playoff team just 11 times since they came into the league. Baltimore and Pittsburgh might be tied in Super Bowl victories, but the Steelers are usually an easy pick to get to the playoffs.

Both teams are likely to see success in their division and beyond in the coming seasons. The Steelers have several players who are talented and will put up a fight against Baltimore, but the Ravens have their own stars. There are certainly some exciting games in the future for this rivalry, and you can count on seeing some defensive showdowns when these teams take the field!