Ravens Extend Win Streak to Nine, Heavy Favorites Over Jets

Without Le’Veon Bell, the Jets leaned on the leg of kicker Sam Ficken, who booted a game-winning field goal as time expired to beat the Dolphins 22-21. The win improved New York’s record to 5-8 overall, but Miami kicker Jason Sanders’ seven (7!) field goals were enough to cover +5 as the Jets dropped to 5-8 against the spread.

Baltimore (-6.5) extended its winning streak to nine games and improved to 7-5-1 ATS with a 24-17 victory at Buffalo despite losing star tight end Mark Andrews in the second quarter due to a knee injury.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Ravens opened as 14-point home favorites, but the spread has jumped to Baltimore -14.5 on the consensus line. New York’s moneyline opened at +570 and the point total at 44 before a tick up to 45. The total has gone UNDER in three of the Ravens’ last four home games with an average combined score of 45.5.

Teams favored by 14 or more points this season are 10-1 SU and 6-5 ATS.

Teams favored by 14 or more points on Thursday nights are 9-0 SU and 7-2 ATS all-time. This season, teams are 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS in that situation.

This will be the first time Baltimore’s been a home favorite of 14 or more points since 2014 and the Ravens are 6-0 SU, 3-3 ATS and 2-4 O/U with three consecutive UNDERS all-time.

The Jets have been road dogs of 14 or more points twice this season and are 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS in those games.

New York News & Notes

After starting the season 1-7, the Jets are 4-1 over their last five. While Sam Darnold’s return from mono has a lot to do with the recent success, New York’s defense has posted some noteworthy numbers* this season:

Pretty impressive, right? Well, there’s a reason for the *asterisk above. The Jets have played only THREE teams with winning records this year – the Patriots twice and the Bills once. New York is 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS in those games, but if you dig into the box score, Patriots second-string quarterback Jarrett Stidham handed them their only cover.

The Jets’ strength of schedule skews these numbers to the point where Lord knows what happens to them on a short week away from the cosy confines of MetLife Stadium. However, if they need a last-second field goal to score 22 points and beat Miami, the Ravens defense must be licking its chops.

Injury-riddled doesn’t begin to explain how banged up the Jets are heading into this Week 15 contest. According to injury reports, at least seven players are questionable with different ailments, highlighted by an illness that sidelined running back Le’Veon Bell and an ankle injury that kept Jamal Adams out against the Dolphins. If “questionable” tags turn “inactive,” New York could be missing up to four defensive backs along with tight end Ryan Griffin, who left the Dolphins game with an ankle injury, too.

Baltimore News & Notes

UPDATE: Lamar Jackson was limited during Monday's practice with a quad injury. He hasn't been ruled out for Thursday's game.

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It sounds like the Ravens dodged a bullet on Mark Andrews’ knee injury that forced him from the Bills game. Multiple reports suggest it’s not serious and he will be OK moving forward.

Baltimore’s tight end leads the team in receptions and receiving yards and accounts for 22.2 and 25.2 percent of the team’s production in those categories, respectively. Lamar Jackson’s great in his own right, but when he goes to the air, Andrews is his first target. This is a huge break for Baltimore.

The Ravens defense has allowed just 15.1 points per game during their nine-game win streak and opposing teams have scored more than 20 points only three times all season. This is far from ideal for a Jets offense that averages 17.4 points per game and needed a last-second field goal to grind out a win over the Dolphins.

Baltimore has won its last nine games by an average of 16.5 points but the last two – over the Niners and Bills – by an average of five points.

Betting Pick: UNDER 45

The bottom line is this: the Ravens want to win and stay healthy ahead of what they hope is a deep playoff run. If the Jets hang within 14 points, so be it. To hold a short-week matchup this late in the season is far from ideal and John Harbaugh’s focus is to survive and advance, not blow the Jets out.