The Ravens meets a familiar foe today as the AFC North Champion Steelers host their bitter rival in the weekend's first Divisional Round playoff battle. The two adversaries are scheduled to kick things off at 4:30pm ET at Heinz Field; the game will be broadcast live on CBS. 2010 NFL Playoff Picks have Pittsburgh listed as a -3 against the spread home favorite and the Over/Under set at 37.
When the Steelers and Ravens clashed in week four at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh was without its biggest offensive weapon, 
quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Granted, the Steelers had managed to start 3-0 despite Roethlisberger's absence, but they had yet to face a division opponent.
Baltimore barely won the game, scoring a 17-14 victory, but the Ravens were dominant on the stat sheet. John Harbaugh's troops produced 320 total yards to Pittsburgh's 210 and they capped off the game with a four play, 40 yard touchdown drive that lasted just 23 seconds.
The Steelers, who are presently listed at +600 moneyline odds to win the championship in the latest Super Bowl Lines, returned the favor in week 13, winning 13-10 at M&T Bank Stadium. Roethlisberger had a pedestrian outing, completing 22-of-38 passes for 253 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, but Pittsburgh's defense smothered the Ravens offense, limiting it to 14 first downs (4-of-13 on third down) and 269 total yards.
The Steelers also recorded four sacks and eight hits on quarterback Joe Flacco in earning a split of the regular season series.
Today's rubber match figures to be the same kind of hard hitting, tightly contested ball game. A few other things seem certain as well.
Pittsburgh, which owns the league's best rush defense (62.8 yards per game allowed), will stuff the Ravens rushing attack (113 rush yards allowed in first two games), putting the onus on Flacco to come up with a performance like the one he had in Kansas City last weekend. Flacco completed 25-of-34 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns, but he also showed great mobility against the Chiefs, routinely escaping pressure to keep drives alive.
Roethlisberger will also need to play well, but Big Ben has already proven himself on the biggest of stages, something Flacco has yet to do.
NFL Point Spreads Betting Trend: The Ravens are 2-8 straight up in their last 10 games at Pittsburgh, the Over is 7-2-1 in those games.
Ravens vs Steelers 2010 NFL Playoff Picks:
Baltimore Ravens +3 (-110), Over 37 (-110), +145 (Moneyline)
Pittsburgh Steelers -3 (-110), Under 37 (-110), -165 (Moneyline)
