The start of Week 9 hasn’t gone particularly well for the Baltimore Ravens. Not only did they place two starting offensive linemen on injured reserve with ankle injuries, but seven defensive players went on the COVID-19/Reserve list as well. Yet, even with all that going wrong, oddsmakers are still leaning toward Baltimore picking up a win this week.
According to BetMGM, the Ravens are 2.5-point favorites over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 as of Wednesday morning. There’s good reason to believe Baltimore could still not only beat Indianapolis but cover the spread, even with their current injury and COVID-19 woes.
For as sloppy and inconsistent as the Ravens have been at times this season, they’ve handily beaten all the weaker teams on their schedule to date. The Colts haven’t found as much success, failing to beat the Cleveland Browns, struggling against the Cincinnati Bengals, and losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Baltimore currently has a higher-rated defense and offense in total points allowed and scored respectively.
Expect the Ravens’ odds to change over the course of the week as we find out more information about the six players labeled as “high-risk close contact” on the COVID-19/Reserve list. If none of them test positive or show symptoms, they’ll be cleared to play in this game, which will likely give a huge bump to Baltimore’s odds. The opposite is true as well, with any further positive tests potentially changing the odds in the Colts’ favor.
If you’re looking to bet this week, taking the smaller spread now might be in your favor but it’d be a bit of a gamble as well. If you want more of a sure thing, waiting until the end of the week is the safer bet.
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