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After a decisive Sunday night showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the seeding for the AFC playoffs is finalized and two AFC North teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs.
The AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field Saturday, Jan. 3, at 8:15 p.m. ET. Television coverage will be on NBC.
Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers finished with an 11-5 record earning the third seed in the AFC, while the Bengals fell to the five seed finishing with a 10-5-1 record after Sunday night’s loss. The Bengals will play the Colts in Indianapolis Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET.
Baltimore earned a chance to compete in the playoffs after scoring 17 in the fourth quarter and rallying against Cleveland in a 20-10 victory. The Ravens received help to earn their playoff berth from the Kansas City Chiefs as they defeated the San Diego Chargers, 19-7, eliminating San Diego and securing the final playoff spot for Baltimore.
According to Vegas Insider, the Steelers open as a 3.5-point favorite over the Ravens for Saturday’s contest.
These two teams split the season series in blowout fashion, Baltimore winning at home, 26-6, on Sept. 11, and Pittsburgh winning at home, 43-23, on Nov. 2. This winner-take-all rubber match between rivals will be an intense matchup for a chance to advance into the divisional round.
