As the Baltimore Ravens look to build for a Super Bowl run, the odds are stacked against them in 2018 and 2019.
Watching the Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl LII was pure jealousy for any other NFL team. The Eagles accomplished an incredible feat even without their starting quarterback in Carson Wentz and other important pieces. As the city of Philadelphia prepares for a parade of the century, teams like Baltimore Ravens are left in disappointment, preparing and building for the 2018 season.
It was another season that ended in heartbreak for the Ravens. It’s a broken record by now. Tyler Boyd’s 49-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-12 was the dagger. For the third year in a row, the Ravens missed the postseason and it feels like the purple passion is lost in Baltimore.
Fans have been spoiled since the arrival of John Harbaugh in 2008. He led the Ravens to five straight playoff berths and a Super Bowl title. Losing isn’t part of the equation for owner Steve Bisciotti but his team now faces their longest playoff drought since they became a franchise in 1996. Looking at the Super Bowl odds the next two seasons, Vegas isn’t doing the Ravens any favors.
The folks over at BetDSI Sportsbook released the Super Bowl odds for the next two seasons. As expected, the Patriots and Eagles headline the favorites in 2019 at +500 and +800 odds respectively. That doesn’t change much in 2020 except the Rams jump the Patriots at +700 odds right behind the Eagles. But, where exactly the Ravens stand? They’re listed at +4200 odds in 2019 and +4500 in 2020. Needless to say, you’ll make some money if the Ravens can hoist a Lombardi trophy sometime soon.
It’s hard not to disagree with the odds at this point in the offseason. The Ravens haven’t put themselves in a successful position going forward. A once franchise quarterback in Joe Flacco is on a steady decline now at 33-years old. And now when the Ravens need to surround him with weapons more than ever, they are limited in cap space.
The defense has been Ozzie’s pride and joy. It was the team’s top focus last offseason and ironically enough, it was that unit which ultimately failed the Ravens in their most crucial moment. There are young players to be excited about but plenty of unproven talent on top of that. Not to mention aging captains in Terrell Suggs and Eric Weddle are on the back-end of their career.
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The Ravens have significant improvements to make before they can be considered Super Bowl contenders. But if there’s anything we know about John Harbaugh’s team, it’s that they embrace the challenge. No matter how they get into the postseason, there’s always a chance they can make some noise.