ExtremeRavens Posted September 20 Posted September 20 When the Dallas Cowboys take the field, it’s almost always a game of national interest. That’s especially true when the Ravens, who are coming off consecutive seasons with double-digit wins, visit Texas on Sunday for “America’s Game of the Week” on Fox. Tom Brady will be on the call, and betting odds suggest the third game of the future Hall of Fame quarterback’s broadcasting career could be a nail-biter. The Ravens are just 1-point favorites at most sportsbooks, according to Vegas Insider. It’s the smallest spread of any NFL game in Week 3. The Ravens-Cowboys matchup, which will kick off at 4:25 p.m., pairs two teams in desperate need of a win. Baltimore is 0-2 on the season after a collapse against the Raiders, while Dallas (1-1) comes into the game fresh off an embarrassing 44-19 home loss to New Orleans. “It’s a one-week league, and we’ve got to do everything we can to play our best football,” coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. Sports bettors love Harbaugh’s Ravens to play their best football in Week 3, with a FanDuel spokesperson telling The Baltimore Sun that 71% of moneyline bets placed as of Thursday afternoon back Baltimore. The trend carries over to other sportsbooks. A DraftKings spokesperson told The Sun that 65% of moneyline bets placed as of Thursday morning were on the Ravens. Ravens poised for bounce-back win I’m aligned with the betting public this weekend. While both teams could be deemed losers of the NFL’s second week, Baltimore’s issues look less alarming than Dallas’ woes. The Ravens lost their first two games by a combined 10 points, and their opening loss came on the road against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Harbaugh’s team needs to shore up its offensive line play — the Ravens have struggled to limit elite pass rushers — but Jackson has been respectable, and the defense looked strong for the majority of the Raiders loss. Baltimore’s pass rush ranks sixth in the NFL through two games, per Pro Football Focus’ detailed grading system. The Ravens aren’t far off from being 1-1 or 2-0. Dallas’ run defense, however, could completely derail the Cowboys’ postseason aspirations. It’s that bad. PFF grades Dallas as the worst rushing defense in the NFL. While Micah Parsons, who is third in the NFL with 14 pressures, could disrupt Baltimore’s passing game, Dallas’ interior defensive linemen and linebackers have been dreadful against the run. Against the Saints, the pass rush couldn’t shine as the Cowboys failed to consistently force clear passing situations. Derrick Henry has yet to crack 100 rushing yards with Baltimore, but Sunday’s game against a porous Dallas defense sets up well for the running back. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) “We didn’t allow [ourselves] to rush the passer because they didn’t give us opportunities because we couldn’t get the run stopped,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said in a recent media availability. Don’t overthink this matchup. Baltimore isn’t suddenly a bad team because it blew a lead against the Raiders and lost a close road game to the Chiefs. The Ravens still have what it takes to make the postseason, and they’re desperate for their first win of the season to avoid a disastrous 0-3 start. Given Dallas’ shoddy rushing defense, Baltimore should successfully lean on Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson to pick up a road victory over the Cowboys. Bettors feel similarly, with Jackson going over 53 1/2 rushing yards the game’s most popular player prop bet at BetMGM as of Wednesday night, a company spokesperson told The Sun. Jackson is 22-7 against the spread in his career when the Ravens are either favored by three points or fewer or an underdog, according to the Action Network. Additionally, Jackson is 20-1 in his career against NFC teams, and the Ravens have never lost three consecutive games in the same season with him starting at quarterback. Best bet: Ravens moneyline (-110 on ESPN BET) View the full article Quote
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