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Ravens. Steelers. December football. It's only right the two bitter rivals are meeting with a lot on the line, and that's certainly the case in Week 14, when the winner of this AFC North showdown will take the lead in the division.

Both teams are 6-6 this season but have taken opposite paths to get there. The Steelers started 4-1 but have lost five of their last seven games to fall back to .500. The Ravens, on the other hand, started 1-5 but have gone 5-1 since.

Neither team is playing close to its best at the moment. The Ravens fell to the Bengals, 32-14, with Lamar Jackson committing three turnovers against a struggling Cincinnati defense. Three days later, the Steelers lost to the Bills, 26-7, with Aaron Rodgers, fractured left wrist and all, completing just 10 of 21 passes for 117 yards, getting bloodied one a strip sack and then calling out his wide receivers after the game. Jeers rained down not just for the team, but for coach Mike Tomlin.

All that leaves both teams limping, bloodied and bruised -- literally and figuratively -- entering one of the NFL's best and most physical rivalries. SportsLine's projections add extra drama, too: The Ravens would have a 65% chance to make the playoffs with a win (23% with a loss), and the Steelers would have a 78% chance to make the playoffs with a win (31% with a loss).

Below, we outline how to watch, keys to the game, betting information and a prediction.

Where to watch Ravens vs. Steelers live

  • Date: Sunday, Dec. 7 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: M&T Bank Stadium -- Baltimore, Maryland
  • TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Ravens -6, O/U 42.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Ravens vs. Steelers: Need to know

  • Lamar Jackson is struggling. Jackson is far from the dynamic force we've seen him be throughout his career. He has run for just 48 yards over his last three starts -- his fewest in any three-start span in his career -- and he has failed to produce any touchdowns, passing or rushing, in three straight games for the first time in his career. His accuracy has been inconsistent ever since he returned from a hamstring injury, too; his four straight starts with a sub-60 completion percentage is also a career-long. Jackson is just 3-4 in his career (including playoffs) against the Steelers, but he has won two straight against Pittsburgh and is 20-4 in December as a starter. Jackson has one of the league's highest sack rates this season, so evading T.J. Watt and the rest of the Pittsburgh pass rush will be key.
  • Aaron Rodgers is also struggling. Week 13 marked Rodgers' third consecutive start with fewer than 200 passing yards, tying the longest streak of his career. Rodgers' 47.6% completion percentage in Week 13 was also his worst in a game he finished since 2020. Rodgers has been unable to get much of a downfield passing game going -- his average completion is just 3.5 yards downfield, by far the lowest in the NFL -- and the Ravens could make it tough sledding with their three-safety looks and strong cornerback play of late.
  • Expect some wild moments. When these two teams meet, the unexpected tends to happen. Before their Week 16 and wild card games last year, nine straight meetings had been decided by one possession, and eight of the last 11 games overall have featured at least three combined turnovers.

Ravens vs. Steelers pick, prediction

After winning five straight games, the Ravens were seemingly back on track, at least defensively, with the expectation that the offense would eventually find its way there, too. Then they produced a turkey on Thanksgiving. Now, they face a crucial game, especially considering they have to go to Pittsburgh in Week 18. Baltimore would certainly like to have the tiebreaker advantage going into that one, and the only way to do that is to win this weekend. Expect a bounce-back performance from Jackson, who has had extra time to get healthier in between games, and an important win for the hosts. Pick: Steelers +6, Under 42.5