The Baltimore Ravens have enjoyed a few weeks off but the run to Super Bowl LIV begins this week in the AFC divisional round against the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans are in this position after knocking off the defending champion New England Patriots, 20-13, in last week’s wild-card matchup. Tennesee running back Derrick Henry was the driving force in the upset, rushing for 182 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries.
The last time we saw the Ravens in action was in a Week 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but most of Baltimore’s starters did not take the field in that one. Even with Robert Griffin III leading the Ravens, they knocked their bitter rivals from the playoff picture, winning 28-10. Hopefully, you followed my advice to take the Ravens money line in that one.
The Ravens are heavy favorites in this one so which side should you back this week? Continue on for the best bets in this divisional-round matchup.
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Ravens -10
The Titans took down the giants of the AFC last week, but let’s face it, the Patriots were nowhere near the team they have been in recent memory. They have really struggled as of late, including a Week 17 loss that put them in a position to play in a wild card game. Tennesee stuck to what they do best, pounding the rock with the NFL’s leading rusher as quarterback Ryan Tannehill was a measly 8-of-15 for 72 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
It’s weird to say this as the Patriots have been so dominant as of late, but the Ravens are a major step up in competition. Lamar Jackson has this team playing at a level the NFL has never seen before and is a remarkable 16-1 in the first meeting against an opponent. Greg Roman, who looks to be staying in Baltimore after being a target in potential head coaching jobs, has had three weeks to figure out new ways to use his star quarterback.
What also cannot be forgotten is the Ravens’ defense getting a rest before they take on a bruiser in Henry. The Titans running back figures to get the bulk of the work on offense once again, but Baltimore will find a way to limit his impact on the game and force Tannehill to make plays in the passing game.
The Ravens covered the spread in nine of their last 10 games and that trend will continue this week. We saw four hard-fought games last week, but this will be the first, and maybe only, lopsided loss of the playoffs. I’m predicting Baltimore to come away with a 38-17 win to host the AFC Championship Game next week.
Under 220.5 passing yards for Ryan Tannehill
This is the easiest pick to back this weekend across all four games. It’s no secret how the Titans operate on offense. They’ll feed Henry until his legs fall off and he’s sure to get his numbers in this game as well. We saw last week that Tennessee does not have a lot of faith in Tannehill as he attempted just 15 passes against a stout Patriots’ secondary in a close game.
Even if the Titans get down early and are forced to throw more than they would like, there’s no reason to believe Tannehill will even get close to this number as the Ravens’ pass defense will make life hell for Tennesee’s young receivers. There is no prop available on BetMGM if Tannehill will throw an interception, but if there was that would have made this betting preview as well.
Over 79.5 rushing yards for Lamar Jackson
You do not take the ball away from your best players in games that matter most. The Ravens aren’t suddenly going to get cute and chuck the ball all over the place now that they’re in the playoffs. No, they’re going to stick to their bread and butter which is getting Jackson in space and wreaking havoc in the ground game.
It makes even more sense to let Jackson carry the load more than usual with Mark Ingram dealing with a calf injury. Jackson badly wants to redeem himself for his performance in last year’s playoffs and will do whatever it takes for the Ravens to advance. We should expect the likely MVP to flirt with a 100-yard game and wow us with a play that we’ll see on the highlight shows the rest of the weekend.
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