Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens Odds and Betting Picks
Another dose of midweek NFL betting action — who’s complaining? Week 13 concludes on Tuesday night as the Baltimore Ravens host the Dallas Cowboys. Both teams need a win to stay afloat in their respective playoff races, but it’ll be an uphill battle for the Dallas Cowboys who travel to Baltimore as 7.5-point underdogs.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens Odds
Neither the Ravens nor the Cowboys are where they would like to be at this point in the season. The Cowboys’ misfortune has been a byproduct of bad luck with injuries and bad coaching decisions. Both were on display when the Cowboys last took the field nearly two weeks ago on Thanksgiving Day.
During their 25-point loss to the Washington Football Team, the Cowboys lost their left and right offensive tackles within the span of five plays during their first possession. Joining the turkey as Thanksgiving casualties were All-Pro right tackle Zack Martin and left tackle Cameron Erving. The litany of blunders continued on behalf of Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, most notably with his decision to attempt a fake punt from their own 24-yard line. Dallas trailed by only four points with 12:54 left to play in the fourth quarter when McCarthy made the mind-boggling call, one that he would later double-down on in his post-game press conference.
As for the game at hand: Unfortunately for Dallas quarterback Andy Dalton, neither Martin nor Erving will be back Tuesday night to help protect against a ferocious and aggressive Ravens pass rush. Martin joins fellow offensive linemen Tyron Smith and La’el Collins on the injured reserve; Erving is expected to return in Week 14. The news is more than troubling for an offensive line that gave up four sacks and eight tackles for loss after Brandon Knight and Terence Steele filled in against Washington.
Unsurprisingly, oddsmakers expect the Cowboys to have their hands full on Tuesday night. The Ravens are 7.5-point favorites after opening -7 at online sports betting sites. The line previously peaked Ravens -8.5 on Sunday but has subsequently fallen a half point on back-to-back days. As of early Tuesday morning, 57% of the money is backing the Ravens to cover the spread, per Scores and Odds. Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of cash likes this game to go over its projected point total of 45.
Cowboys vs. Ravens Betting Picks
The Ravens aren’t as rested as their opponents — well, at least not all of them. Initially slated for Thanksgiving night, Baltimore faced the Pittsburgh Steelers last Wednesday, nearly a week after it’s original time slot, following a series of covid induced reschedulings. The impetus of the postponements simultaneously left 16 players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of last week’s game. Despite missing the likes of Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, J.K. Dobbins, Mark Ingram, Willie Snead, Patrick Ricard, and Pro Bowl defenders in Calais Campbell and Matthew Judon, the Ravens still tried their best to pull off a miracle at Heinz Field. Healthy-ish, eager to play, and desperate for a win, the Ravens will need no such thing against the Dallas Cowboys.
Blitzing 43.7% of the time, the Ravens are the most blitz-heavy defense in the NFL. Their aggressive schemes have allowed them to pressure quarterbacks 24% of the time this season, which is actually surprisingly inefficient compared to what we’ve seen from Baltimore in recent seasons. However, we’ve already discussed the Cowboys’ deficiencies regarding their offensive line and pass protection. Of additional concern for Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton is that the Ravens are one of seven teams to knock down at least 10% of opposing quarterbacks’ pass attempts.
The Ravens might have missed their Thanksgiving Day game, but they should feast against the Cowboys and have one of their best performances of the season. Accordingly, I’m betting on the Ravens -7.5 and Under 45.5 points. I like the Ravens up to -9. Let’s hope I can pick up where Joe Cistaro left off after his clean 4-0 Monday night sweep.
NFL Betting Picks: Baltimore -7.5 at BetMGM & Under 45.5 at FanDuel
*Note: The line moved to Ravens -8 Tuesday afternoon.
Cowboys-Ravens Props
Odds are from BetMGM.
Marquise Brown OVER 3.5 Receptions (-115); OVER 44.5 Yards (-110) – After a three-week drought, Brown finally found paydirt late in the fourth quarter against the Steelers. The 70-yard touchdown pass made up the majority of Brown’s 85 yards. The receiver ended with four receptions. Sure, Brown’s performance prior to the touchdown was another underwhelming one, but he still managed to snag four of the Ravens’ nine completions from McSorley and Robert Griffin. Lamar Jackson is active tonight, and I expect the QB-WR duo to link up early and often while both tight ends, Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle, are sidelined.
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