Ravens vs. Raiders Football Odds and Betting Picks
Ravens vs. Raiders Odds
| Ravens Odds | -4.5 |
| Raiders Odds | +4.5 |
| Over/Under | 50.5 |
| Date | Monday, Sept. 13 |
| Time | 8:20 pm |
| TV | ESPN |
The Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders will begin their 2021 season on Monday Night Football at Allegiant Stadium. Oddsmakers are expecting a competitive game, pricing Baltimore as only four-point favorites.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
Baltimore Ravens
Last fall, Jackson finished well-below league average in adjusted completion percentage at 74.9 percent, grouping him with other names such as Danei Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Tua Tagovailoa. This was despite the fact that he had the most time to throw of any quarterback in the NFL in 2020. His 2020 campaign was far less efficient than his 2019 MVP year, but not all of the blame can be put on the quarterback when he is protected by an abysmal offensive line and supported by a non-existent rushing attack. Throwing the ball down-the-field continued to be a tremendous issue last year. On throws 20 or more yards from the line of scrimmage, he had only an 85.5 passer rating, throwing six touchdowns and four interceptions. Jackson is unlikely to be helped too much by his rushing attack on Monday night after injuries took out J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
Baltimore had one of the better defenses in the NFL in 2020, allowing the seventh-fewest total yards of any team in the league. They were strong against both the rush and the pass, with no clear weakness for opposing offenses to exploit. If there is one area where they can improve, it is getting pressure on the opposing quarterback. This unit ranked only 15th in sacks per pass attempt last fall—notable, considering that Derek Carr was one of the best quarterbacks in football last year when throwing from a clean pocket. Baltimore’s pass rush could be even worse in 2021 after losing Matthew Judon to the New England Patriots in the off-season.
Las Vegas Raiders
Carr was one of the most underrated players in the NFL last season. He finished the year with the eighth-best passing grade, per Pro Football Focus. He continued to struggle against pressure, and still makes more than a few questionable decisions with the football. Still, he is one of the best in the game throwing the ball down-the-field, throwing for 19 touchdowns and only five interceptions on pass attempts 10-plus yards past the line of scrimmage. There is not a throw on the field that Carr can’t execute better than a league average quarterback. Carr did all of this despite the fact that he had one of the worst offensive lines in football. Las Vegas made the offensive line an area of focus in the off-season, drafting Alex Leatherwood in the first round of the draft, but he struggled mightily during the preseason. This is an offensive with plenty of skill position talent, but if they continue to lose the trench-war, this offense is likely to be inconsistent again in 2021.
If the Raiders struggle offensively in a given week, they are unlikely to be very competitive. Last year, they ranked 25th in yards allowed per game. Las Vegas ranked 24th against the run and 26th against the pass. They ranked 29th in sacks per pass attempt. This unit will need to stop the run and force Jackson to throw the football if they want to be competitive on Monday night. The game plan is easy to devise, but it is doubtful that there is enough talent here to execute at a high-level.
*Ravens vs. Raiders Pick
Baltimore is rightfully favored in this game at sportsbooks. However, there are a lot of question marks here concerning the run game and the pass rush. Instead of wagering on the side in this one, a play on the under makes more sense. Even though Baltimore struggled to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2020, they were a top-10 defense and they should be able to slow down Oakland’s offensive attack in this one. Oakland’s defense is extremely unreliable, but if they can force Jackson to throw the ball down-the-field, they should be able to do enough to keep this total under the current market price. Take the under in this one, but make it a small play. If you can, buy a point to get on the right side of 51—the third-most common total in the NFL since the extra point was moved in 2015.
PICK: Ravens/Raiders u51.5 (-130)
Image Credit: Imagn
Image Credit: Imagn