Baltimore has won two straight ball games, and quarterback Lamar Jackson is one of the short favorites to win the NFL MVP award. Meanwhile, Arizona has lost four straight and is anxiously awaiting the return of their starting QB, Kyler Murray.
Please join me as I break down the odds and share my best bet for Sunday’s Ravens vs. Cardinal matchup for Sunday, October 29.
Ravens Getting Healthier
Just a few weeks ago, the Ravens were missing up to 10 starters with various injuries, but Baltimore is getting healthier. The Ravens have won four of their last five games, sit atop the NFC North standings, and, more importantly, are 5-2-0 ATS this season.
The Ravens humiliated Detroit in Week 7. Baltimore scored 28 points before Detroit’s offense could move the chains even once. Jackson threw for 353 yards with three scoring strikes and scampered for an additional 36 yards and one TD. The Ravens’ defense held the Lions to just 337 yards, making Baltimore the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL.
Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith had eight tackles on Sunday and said this to reporters about the Ravens defense,
“We just played our style of defense,” linebacker Roquan Smith said. “We just knew that they haven’t faced a defense this year like ours.”
Arizona four-game losing streak
Smith won’t be able to say that Arizona hasn’t played a defense like the Ravens because the Cardinals have already played two stout defenses. San Francisco and Dallas probably aren’t better than what Baltimore brings, but they are two terrific defensive teams, and Arizona scored 16 points on both defenses.
The Cardinals return home after an unsuccessful two-game swing with losses to the Los Angeles Rams and a Week 7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Arizona offense is ranked in the bottom third in the league in scoring – quarterback Josh Dobbs has thrown more TD passes than interceptions and is completing 62% of his passes.
Still, the Cardinals don’t have much of a rushing attack, and Dobbs has been sacked 15 times already this season.
The Cardinals defense hasn’t been good at all this season. They allow 26 points per contest and are slightly better against the pass than they are against the rush. They’ve allowed 131 points over their last five contests and will have their hands full with Jackson and the Ravens.
Ravens vs. Cardinals Best Bet
The Ravens’ offense is humming, and they average 22.3 points per away contest and a 10th-best 24.2 points per contest overall. Arizona scores an average of 25.5 points per home contest, and the Over is 3-0-0 when the Cardinals play at State Farm Stadium.
Finally, the Cardinals’ defense allows 27 points per home game, and they are running into a multi-faceted offense with one of the best offensive players in the game. Baltimore allows just 15 points per game as the away team, but I like how Arizona scores the football at home. Take Over 44 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook Arizona.
My Best Bet: Over 44 (-110) Caesars Sportsbook
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