When the Dallas Cowboys take the field, it’s almost always a game of national interest. That’s especially true when the Ravens, coming off back-to-back double-digit win seasons, travel to Texas on Sunday for “America’s Game of the Week” on Fox.
Tom Brady will be present at the calland the betting odds suggest the future Hall of Fame quarterback’s third broadcasting game could be a thriller. The Ravens are just a one-point favorite at most bookmakers, according to Vegas Insider. That’s the smallest spread of any NFL game in Week 3.
The Ravens-Cowboys game, which kicks off at 4:25 p.m., pits two teams in desperate need of a win. Baltimore is 0-2 on the season after a collapse against the Raiderswhile Dallas (1-1) comes into the game after an embarrassing 44-19 home loss to New Orleans.
“It’s a one-week league, and we have to do everything we can to play our best football,” coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday.
Sports bettors are hoping Harbaugh’s Ravens play their best football in Week 3, with a FanDuel spokesperson telling the Baltimore Sun that 71% of moneyline bets placed Thursday afternoon were on Baltimore. The trend is continuing at other sportsbooks. A DraftKings spokesperson told the Sun that 65% of moneyline bets placed Thursday morning were on the Ravens.
Ravens ready to bounce back
I agree with the betting public this weekend.
Although both teams can be considered NFL Week 2 LosersBaltimore’s problems seem less dire than Dallas’. The Ravens have lost their first two games by a combined 10 points, and their first loss came on the road against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
Harbaugh’s team needs to step up its offensive line play — the Ravens have struggled to limit top pass rushers — but Jackson was respectable and the defense looked solid for most of the Raiders’ loss. Baltimore’s defense ranks sixth in the NFL after two games, according to Pro Football Focus’ Detailed Scoring SystemThe Ravens are not far from being 1-1 or 2-0.
Dallas’ run defense, however, could completely derail the Cowboys’ playoff aspirations. It’s that bad.
PFF rates Dallas as the worst run defense in the NFL. While Micah Parsons, who is third in the NFL with 14 pressures, could disrupt Baltimore’s passing game, Dallas’ defensive interior linemen and linebackers have been abysmal against the run. Against the Saints, the pass defense couldn’t shine as the Cowboys failed to consistently force clear passing situations.
“We did not allow [ourselves] “We had to rush the passer because they didn’t give us opportunities because we couldn’t stop the run,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said during a recent media availability.
Don’t think too much about this match.
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Baltimore didn’t become a bad team because it blew a lead against the Raiders and lost a close road game to the Chiefs. The Ravens still have what it takes to make the playoffs, and they desperately want their first win of the season to avoid a disastrous 0-3 start.
Given Dallas’ poor defense, Baltimore should rely on Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson to pull off a road win against the Cowboys. Oddsmakers feel the same way, with Jackson rushing for 53 1/2 yards, the most popular bet of the game at BetMGM on Wednesday night, a company spokesperson told The Sun.
Jackson is 22-7 against NFC teams in his career when the Ravens are favored by three points or fewer or are underdogs, according to Action Network. Additionally, Jackson is 20-1 in his career against NFC teams, and the Ravens have never lost three straight games in a season with him as the starting quarterback.
Best choice: Ravens moneyline (-110 on ESPN BET)
