The Baltimore Ravens have needed a lot of luck to get to 2-1. They recovered a late fumble against the Chiefs and then got a 66-yard game-winning field goal against the Lions. Can they play at a higher level and not make things as stressful this weekend? The Denver Broncos are 3-0, but there’s an obvious question behind their unbeaten record. This is one of Week 4’s more genuinely interesting confrontations, so let’s look at the matchup for those who betonline.
| Game: Ravens (2-1) at Broncos (3-0)
Location: Empower Field at Mile High (Denver, CO) Time: 4:25 p.m. ET Television: CBS |
Betting Lines
| Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under | Team Total |
| Ravens | PICK | -110 | 45 | 22½ |
| Broncos | PICK | -110 | 45 | 22½ |
Head-to-Head
The last time these teams met was in 2018. The Ravens beat the Broncos, 27-14.
Baltimore Ravens
Next game: vs. Colts
Last Game
The Ravens played a poor game against the Detroit Lions. They blew a 16-7 lead. Receiver Marquise Brown dropped several Lamar Jackson passes, at least one for a touchdown, and the Ravens’ offense ground to a halt in the second half. Baltimore played with very little energy and focus after halftime.
The Lions took a 17-16 lead and appeared to have won when the Ravens faced a long fourth down deep in their own territory in the final half-minute. However, Jackson converted a long pass to midfield. The Ravens were able to stop the clock at the end of regulation and send future Hall of Fame kicker Justin Tucker on to attempt a 66-yard field goal.
The kick hit the crossbar and bounced through the uprights, giving Baltimore an incredible 19-17 win. The Ravens got the result they wanted, but they know they need to play far better football if they want to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender.
The Ravens are 1-2 against the spread and 2-1 in over-unders.
Injury Report
Quarterback Lamar Jackson is probable with a back injury. Keep tabs on this injury before you dive into NFL game betting. It might be the central plot point of this whole game. Tyler Huntley is the backup for the Ravens.
Cornerback Tavon Young is questionable. Defensive end Derek Wolfe, a former Bronco, is questionable. Offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva is questionable. Linebacker Pernell McPhee is questionable. Receiver Myles Boykin is questionable. Receiver Rashod Bateman is questionable. Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley is questionable. Safety Deshon Elliott is questionable.
Defensive end Daelin Hayes is out. Cornerback Marcus Peters is out. Linebacker Jaylon Ferguson is out. Cornerback Chris Westry is out. Guard Tyre Phillips is out. This list doesn’t include the other running backs who were injured for Baltimore before the season began.
Denver Broncos
Next game: at Steelers
Last Game
The Broncos hammered the New York Jets, 26-0, to move to 3-0 on the season. The Broncos are doing what they are supposed to do – nothing more, nothing less. They have attained a certain degree of competence, and they were able to easily handle Zach Wilson and the rest of a completely disorganized and adrift Jets offense which is averaging fewer than 10 points per game this season.
The question arising from this easy win is whether the Broncos are for real. They have beaten the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Jets, three winless teams who might be the three worst teams in the NFL this year. The Broncos took care of business, but now every remaining game – with one or two possible exceptions – will take place against an opponent which is noticeably better than the Giants, Jags and Jets.
The Baltimore Ravens certainly fit that category, having made the divisional round of the AFC playoffs the past few seasons. Are the Broncos ready to step up in weight class? We’ll just have to find out, and then we might be able to speak more definitively about whether Denver is a top-tier contender or not in the AFC.
The Broncos are 3-0 against the spread and 0-3 in over-unders.
Injury Report
Taking a look at the list, Running back Melvin Gordon is probable. Linebacker Justin Strnad is probable. Linebacker Malik Reed is probable. Nose tackle Mike Purcell is questionable. Linebacker Andre Mintze is questionable. Running back Mike Boone is questionable. Linebacker Jonas Griffith is out. Receiver K.J. Hamler is out. Guard Dalton Risner is questionable. Guard Graham Glasgow is questionable. Linebacker Bradley Chubb is out. Linebacker Josey Jewell is out.
Betting on the Game
Moneyline
In a game which is a pick’em, the moneyline and point spread bets are essentially the same for NFL predictions. Jump to the next section for the breakdown.
Point Spread
The Ravens are only a pick’em against the Broncos because there are worries that Jackson might not play or be effective. Yet, he is listed as probable in the injury report as noted above. Jackson played a lot better last week against the Lions than the raw numbers might indicate. That fact needs to be taken into consideration. What also needs to be realized here is that while the Ravens beat the Lions, they played very poorly. They will likely have to play as poorly to lose to the Broncos, and that isn’t especially likely to happen.
Over/Under
The 45 number seems close to what one should expect. If Lamar Jackson isn’t very effective, this game begs for an under, but we can’t fully know how ineffective Lamar will be until this game begins. This is frankly not the best spot in which to make an over-under bet, since the health of a star quarterback is not something you want to mess with. You’re asking for trouble if you think you have a strong read on Jackson’s health. Best to wait and see, and look for a better over-under opportunity elsewhere in the NFL in Week 4.
