The New York Jets Are The Favorites?
After entering the first five games of the season as the favorite, the Baltimore Ravens come into Sunday’s match up against the New York Jets as the underdog for the second straight week. Currently, the betting lines list the Jets as two point favorites.
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The game against the Jets also marks the second straight week the Ravens travel to New York. Last week, the New York Giants defeated the Ravens 27-23. Odell Beckham Jr. led the team to victory with eight catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ravens hope this trip to New York plays out differently. The Jets’ performance fell off a cliff this season as they started the season 1-5 after winning 10 games last year. Ryan Fitzpatrick receives the brunt of the criticism as he morphed into a turnover machine through the first six games, throwing 11 interceptions. Geno Smith gets the start at quarterback this week.
When you look at the Jets quarterback woes and their mounting list of injuries, it’s hard to understand how they are listed as the favorites in this game. Joe Flacco missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday plays a large part in Vegas favoring the Jets. However, the Jets rank among the worst teams in the league. Almost 25% of their offensive drives end in turnovers. Plus, their defense (which finished 4th in total yards last year) ranks 23rd allowing over 375 yards per game.
If Ryan Mallett starts this game, the Ravens still have a legitimate shot at winning. Luckily, Joe Flacco returned to practice on Friday according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
Flacco practicing in full today bodes well for him playing Sun. Both Harbaugh and Flacco had said earlier in week they believe he'll play
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) October 21, 2016
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Despite another week of looming injuries for the Baltimore Ravens, they get the job done this weekend. The Jets are simply a bad football team this year. Plus, the Ravens desperately need this game to get the season back on track. Expect a heavy dose of running (for real this week) in a low scoring game. The Ravens control on both sides of the ball in a 16-9 win.