Steelers vs. Ravens Week 18 NFL injury report, odds, spread: TJ Watt favored to break Michael Strahan's sack record; Lamar Jackson likely out again

The winner of Sunday's Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens game has a slight chance at an AFC wild-card spot but likely will see its season end along with the loser. For the Steelers, it should be the final game in the Hall of Fame career of QB Ben Roethlisberger, and TJ Watt is favored to break one of the league's most hallowed defensive records. The Ravens, meanwhile, are likely to play without Lamar Jackson as they try to avoid their first losing season since 2015. Baltimore is still -5 at Caesars Sportsbook.

For the Steelers to extend Big Ben's career, they must win, have the Colts lose as 15.5-point favorites in Jacksonville and for the Chargers and Raiders NOT to tie in the Sunday night game. For the Ravens to reach the playoffs for a fourth straight season, they must win, have the Colts lose, the Chargers lose, and the Dolphins lose or tie at home vs. New England. Basically, both teams' hopes rest on Indy completely choking, and that game kicks off simultaneously with this one.

Roethlisberger likely will not have his leading receiver, Diontae Johnson, or starting center, Kendrick Green, after both were placed on the COVID list Tuesday. Johnson leads the team with 100 catches, 1,100 receiving yards and eight TDs. Big Ben has won his past three trips to M&T Bank Stadium (2017, 2018, 2020) since starting his career 2-6 SU there. Roethlisberger has never been given at least 5 points in a game vs the Ravens.

Of course, Michael Strahan holds the NFL single-season sacks record of 22.5 set in 2001. It looked like that was safe entering Week 17, but then Watt went out and sacked Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield four times on Monday night to reach 21.5 sacks.

SportsLine oddsmakers give Watt -200 odds to break the record and +150 for no. He's averaging 1.54 sacks per game this year having missed two games. Watt is now a lock to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year (brother JJ won it three times) as he's priced as a -1800 favorite at Caesars Sportsbook.

In Week 13 when the Steelers beat the Ravens 20-19 – Baltimore went for a 2-point try at the end and failed – Watt had 3.5 sacks of Jackson, but he's expected to miss a third straight game with an ankle injury suffered Week 14 in Cleveland. Jackson hasn't practiced this week at all and just once since then. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley is on the injury report with an illness, but was a full participant on Wednesday and Thursday.

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Will TJ Watt break Michael Strahan's sacks record of 22.5?

• Yes -200
• No +150

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