Will Ravens' Lamar Jackson, Steelers' T.J. Watt play in pivotal Week 18 clash?

On Jan. 4, the 9-7 Pittsburgh Steelers will host the 8-8 Baltimore Ravens for a "Sunday Night Football" game that will determine which club enters the playoffs as champions of the AFC North and which team ends its season. 

During Sunday's edition of NBC's "Football Night in America" program, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk shared whether or not Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Steelers star pass-rusher T.J. Watt will play in the upcoming win-or-go-home matchup.

What are the odds that Lamar Jackson plays for Ravens at Steelers? 

"I'm told right now it's a shade under 50/50 as to whether he'll be available for the showdown next weekend in Pittsburgh," Florio said about Jackson, per Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot. 

Jackson missed Baltimore's massive 41-24 win at the Green Bay Packers this past Saturday night because of a back issue. A right hamstring injury sidelined Jackson for three games earlier in the fall, and he hadn't played at an elite level since his return to the lineup before the back problem popped up. 

Against the Packers, Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns. Backup signal-caller Tyler Huntley started in place of Jackson. 

T.J. Watt no closer to returning to Steelers? 

A previous report indicated that the Steelers would be "very lucky" to get Watt back for the playoffs after he suffered a partially collapsed lung when he went through "a dry needling treatment session" at the team's facility earlier in December. Florio suggested nothing has changed regarding the harsh reality of Watt's status. 

"He had surgery just 16 days ago to repair a partially collapsed lung," Florio said about Watt on Sunday evening. "I'm told that as of right now, it's a long shot that he'll be able to play. Never say never, but it's not an ideal timeline to be fully cleared. The Steelers aren't treating this like a normal injury because it isn't."

As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Ravens as 3.5-point road favorites against the Steelers. One wonders how that line will change, if at all, once more is known about Jackson and Watt later in the week.