Ravens: Betting odds show a favorable matchup for the offense in Week 1
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best offenses in football. Despite countless criticisms of Greg Roman’s unit — many of which are fair — it’s impossible to ignore the effectiveness of the team’s offense.
That’s why it should come as no surprise that the Ravens are projected to score plenty of points in Week 1. Especially when you look at who their opponents are.
The Ravens will travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders next Monday as they kick off their 2021 season under the lights at Allegiant Stadium.
While the Ravens had one of the best offenses in the NFL a year ago, the Raiders had one of the worst defenses. That’s why the Ravens are currently the third most likely team to score the most points in Week 1 with +1000 odds according to WynnBet.
The only two teams with better odds to score the most points are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers (+850) who play the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, respectively.
Ravens odds indicate that they should score a lot of points in Week 1
Again, this makes all the sense in the world. The Raiders’ defense has been one of the worst in the NFL over the last few years including last season when they ranked third-worst in points allowed per game.
They were the only team to allow an offensive score on more than half of their possessions at a downright abysmal 50.3 percent rate. To make matters worse, the Raiders were also tied for the second-most rushing touchdowns allowed.
That plays right into Baltimore’s strengths.
On the flip side, the Ravens led the NFL with a hefty 3,071 rushing yards. Only one other team finished above 2,400 yards while there was a sizable 381-yard gap to the next-best team, the Tennessee Titans.
The Ravens averaged 5.5 yards per attempt — once again an NFL-best. Meanwhile, the Raiders’ defense allowed opposing ball carriers to average 4.6 yards per carry which was tied for seventh-most in the league.
Only one player managed more than three sacks on the Raiders’ defense in 2020. And while the addition of former Ravens pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue could prove fruitful, it’s hard to imagine it making much of a difference in this game.
This one is simple. It’s a matchup featuring a high-octane offense and a porous defense.
Next. Ravens: 4 free agents the team could sign before Week 1. dark
Place your bets now, this one could get ugly.