Red-hot teams square off in the AFC Divisional round on Saturday night, as the Baltimore Ravens visit the Buffalo Bills. Baltimore comes in on a six-game winning streak, including last weekend’s win at Tennessee in a Wild-Card contest. Buffalo has won seven straight, edging the Indianapolis Colts at home last weekend to advance to this contest.
Two of the quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft will be center stage, with Lamar Jackson leading the Ravens’ offense and Josh Allen under center for the Bills. Both players have been playing great, though in different styles. Which quarterback can have a better game in this one will likely determine the winner. Before you bet online on this contest, make sure to read our advice on some bets to make.
| Game: Baltimore (11-5) vs Buffalo (13-3) Location: Bills Stadium Time: 8:15 p.m. ET Television: NBC |
NFL Betting Lines
| Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under | Team Total |
| Ravens | +2½ | +110 | 50½ | 24 |
| Bills | -2½ | -130 | 50½ | 27 |
Moneyline: Ravens +110 | Bills -130
This should be an interesting game, especially with there being a 25% chance of snow. Jackson and the Ravens could be at an advantage since they focus more on running the ball, but Jackson has said he’s never played in such conditions. Meanwhile, the Bills like to use the passing game to move the ball, and we think they’ll be able to do that enough to pull out this victory.
Pick: Bills to win
Point Spread: Bills -2½
The NFL odds are set for a close game, with Buffalo not getting the obligatory three points for playing at home. Containing Jackson will be a key for the Bills, making him become a passing quarterback, which is his lesser talent. The Ravens’ defense will hit hard in this one, but the Bills should have enough to cover the spread.
Pick: Bills to cover
Over/Under: 50½ points
On a clear night, these teams could light up the scoreboard, as shown by both teams averaging over 29 points a contest. But on a snowy night, it could be difficult for these teams to get some rhythm. We think this one is going to be close, with points being at a premium for much of the contest. Go with the under.
Pick: Under 50½
Prediction: Bills 24, Ravens 18
Props Talk for Ravens at Bills
As the stakes get higher, some props become even more fun to put some money on. We have a better feel of both teams after seeing their opening contests last weekend, though the postseason always seems to throw a surprise or two at us.
Let’s take a look at some NFL betting props for the game.
Player To Score First TD: Josh Allen +750
Allen and Ravens running back JK Dobbins have the best odds for this prop bet, which is interesting considering Jackson’s ability to find the end zone. Still, we like Buffalo to get on the board first, and the Ravens’ pass rush is going to make Allen scramble at times for some yardage. We like the Buffalo signal-caller to scramble into the end zone for the game’s first score.
Score In First Six Minutes: No -115
Between the nerves and adrenaline of being one win away from the AFC Championship Game and the potential bad weather, it’s hard to see either of these teams getting off to a fast start offensively. If there is an opening drive that leads to a score, we anticipate it taking longer than the opening six minutes to finish.
Total TDs In The Game: Under 5½ -115
This is another one of those NFL picks that you have to base on your feel for how the total game is going to turn out and who will come out on top. As we said earlier, we don’t see the over 50½ happening, so we’re good with going with fewer than 5½ touchdowns as well. As much as we’d like to see a shootout in this one, the defenses and weather are going to keep the scoring down.
