Even though there’s a chance the Pittsburgh Steelers could get quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back for their Sunday road game against the Baltimore Ravens, the betting world still has the AFC North leaders as underdogs in that contest.
The Steelers opened as 2.5-point road underdogs per VegasInsider.com and that line could grow in the coming days depending on what ultimately happens this week with Roethlisberger, who is now two weeks removed from having a repair procedure performed on the meniscus that he damaged in his left knee during the team’s Week 6 road loss to the Miami Dolphins.
The fact that the Steelers opened as underdogs isn’t that surprising at all, however, as Pittsburgh is 1-4 in their last five games that they have played in Baltimore against the Ravens.
“We’re seven games in, we’re one game out of first in the division, and we’re playing the team that’s first in the division, which is our archrival,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, whose team is coming off a bye. “What more could you ask for than that?”
While the Steelers entered their bye week having lost their last two games, the Ravens entered theirs on a four-game losing streak. Additionally, the Ravens have averaged just 19 points a game so far this season.
We could know as early as Tuesday whether there’s a good chance Roethlisberger will play Sunday in Baltimore as that’s when Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will hold his weekly press conference. Over the course of the last week the reports on Roethlisberger possibly playing in Week 9 have been all over the place.
Should Roethlisberger wind up missing the game against the Ravens, backup quarterback Landry Jones would make his second consecutive start and the fourth of his career.
