ExtremeRavens Posted November 27 Posted November 27 The Ravens (8-4) host the Eagles (9-2) on Sunday in a battle of Super Bowl contenders. The two teams have dynamic quarterbacks and elite running backs, which should make for an entertaining back-and-forth between two of the NFL’s best teams. Betting odds give Baltimore a slight edge in a game expected to come down to the wire. What are the odds? Spread: Ravens by 3 Total: 50 1/2 points Moneyline: Baltimore -164, Philadelphia +138 The Eagles have only been an underdog twice this season, and they’re 2-0 in those games. Baltimore has been favored in all but one game this season, going 6-4-1 against the spread when favored. Baltimore’s games tend to go over the point total, with 10 of the Ravens’ 12 games going over the point total. Philadelphia has less of an over tendency, with six of its 11 games going under the total. Neither team likely cares too much about any of those stats, as they’re both good at the one thing that matters: winning. Baltimore and Philadelphia are a combined 17-6 straight up this season, as both teams have realistic Super Bowl aspirations. The Eagles have a better record and slightly shorter Super Bowl odds (+650 on FanDuel) than the Ravens (+700). Only the Lions (+300) and Chiefs (+500) hold shorter odds. Take the under in a Ravens game? It sounds blasphemous, but I like the under in this matchup. Philadelphia’s backfield tandem of Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley generate the most attention from casual fans, but it’s the Eagles’ defense that makes the group a Super Bowl threat. Pro Football Focus grades the Eagles out as the best defense in the NFL, and they’ve held down some elite offenses in the second half of the season. Joe Burrow’s Bengals mustered just 17 points in a loss to the Eagles on Oct. 27. It’s one of just three times this season Cincinnati failed to score 20 or more points in a game — the Bengals scored 72 points across two meetings with the Ravens this season. Jayden Daniels and the Commanders scored 18 earlier this month in a loss to the Eagles, and Matthew Stafford’s Rams tallied only 20 in Sunday night’s loss to Philadelphia. Both the Commanders and Rams scored late touchdowns with the Eagles playing prevent defense in those games, too. Not many defenses can slow down the Ravens’ offense, but the Eagles might be the best equipped of any NFL team to slow down Lamar Jackson and company. They’ll also face a Ravens offense with one day less rest than usual. The Eagles’ offensive strength seemingly plays into the Ravens’ defensive edge, which could lead to a lower-scoring affair. The Ravens’ defense is better at stopping the run than it is the pass. Philadelphia’s strength is its running game with Hurts and Barkley, as Hurts isn’t nearly as dynamic a passer as Jackson. Starting kickers Justin Tucker and Jake Elliott are a combined 3-11 on kicks outside of 50 yards this season. Kicking Sunday won’t be any easier with chillier temperatures expected. Sunday’s high is 40 degrees and there should be a moderate breeze during the game. I’m expecting both teams to chew clock with their star running backs and try to win the field position battle in an early December matchup of Super Bowl contenders. The game should be competitive, partially because there might not be as much scoring as we’re used to from the Ravens. Best bet: Under 50.5 points Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article Quote
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