The Baltimore Ravens are 2-point underdogs for their game Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The same Buccaneers who lost to and were nearly shutout by the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
It’s a spread the Ravens should feel disrespected by.
They average the sixth-most points scored in the NFL entering Week 8. They’ve gone toe-to-toe with the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, amongst other good teams — and should have beaten both. The Bucs barely average 17 points per game.
And yet, the spread isn’t all that surprising. As much as we can feel like the Ravens should win this game, even on the road, how convinced are we that they actually will?
My favorite bet from this game is for the point total to fall under 46. Between the combined 14 games these teams have played, 11 have fallen under, including all but one of Tampa’s games. That only adds to why it would be a disappointing loss for the Ravens.
The Bucs can’t move the ball. They’ve undoubtedly been the more disappointing team between the two, but Tampa also has a 45-year-old quarterback playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in football. It’s not hard to reason how they could be 3-4 at this point in the year.
The Ravens, though, are just one game better with a quarterback in his prime and a defense loaded with top picks and former All-Pros. They average the league’s sixth-most points per game, but if the clutch gene is a real thing, they don’t have it. All three of their losses were games they led at some point in the second half.
However, those previous losses could be excused by playing teams that have actually proven to be good. The Dolphins, Bills and Giants all had and still have winning records. The Bucs do not. They’re 1-4 in their last five, including losses to the Packers and Steelers.
If the Ravens can’t find a way to win this game, it’s going to be hard to take them seriously the rest of the year. I think they find a way to get it done.
Prince’s Pick: Ravens win 24-20
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