After spending a week out west in between their first two games of the year, the Baltimore Ravens might reconsider their travel plans. They are hopeful a return home can fuel them to their first victory of the season and playing against AFC North rival and unbeaten Cincinnati should be enough motivation. The Ravens have lost three straight to the Bengals and will need to end that streak to avoid their first 0-3 start.
ODDS
Playing their first game at home this season, the Baltimore Ravens opened as a 2.5-point favorite against the unbeaten Bengals. The total surfaced at 44. The Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last five against the Ravens and go for their straight win in the series.
KEY INJURIES
Geno Atkins – Was late getting up from a pile after a tackle and was helped to the sidelines. He apparently had the wind knocked out of him and should be ready to play Sunday. Otherwise the Bengals escaped relatively injury-free, which is unusual in an NFL game.
Rashaan Melvin – A thigh injury has kept the Ravens’ backup cornerback out of the lineup, forcing the team to acquire Will Davis from the Miami Dolphins in a deal for a 2016 seventh-round draft pick.
KEY MISMATCH
Quarterback Andy Dalton is at it again. The master of the regular season has led the Bengals to consecutive victories with near precision. He tossed three touchdown passes in a win over San Diego last week and has yet to throw an interception or get sacked in his first two games. Much of Dalton’s success has to do with an offensive line that has been spectacular so far. According to Pro Football Focus, center Russell Bodine and right tackle Andre Smith were the highest graded players at their positions last week. All other linemen were graded in the top five at their positions, too. The guys up front have made it easy for Dalton, who has been pressured just six times this year.
KEY STAT
28.6 – Baltimore’s touchdown efficiency in the red zone this season. The Ravens scored just two touchdowns on seven trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. They must have better plans than Flacco lobbing a jump-ball pass to 5-foot-9 receiver Steve Smith in the end zone, like he did three times against Oakland last week.
BETTING ANGLE
John Harbaugh has dealt with all sorts of challenges during his tenure as coach of the Ravens, none of which involved digging his team out of an 0-2 hole. But that’s the situation presented to him after a disastrous trip west to start the season. The Ravens haven’t been 0-2 since 2005 and have never been 0-3. Baltimore has reached the playoffs in six of Harbaugh’s first seven seasons, and that streak could be in jeopardy. The schedule makers didn’t do the Ravens any favors putting them on the road in back-to-back games to open the season, and it doesn’t get any easier. Following the Bengals game, Baltimore is back on the road for a Thursday night game in Pittsburgh and consecutive games in San Francisco and Arizona two weeks after that. The reward is that six of the last nine games are at home. But that won’t do the Ravens much good if they don’t put themselves in position for a stretch run.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Rivalry games in the AFC North are always unpredictable. The Ravens need a win badly to avoid their first 0-3 start and the Bengals are rolling, so the likely choice is to go with Cincy. The Ravens did show some offensive spark last week in Oakland, but settled for too many field goals in a game they could have won with a late touchdown. Two crucial defensive penalties on the Raiders’ game-winning drive also proved costly. So while the Ravens don’t have a win, it’s not like they’ve been blown out in their defeats. A play here or a play there and Baltimore could easily be 2-0. But the league is about the Ws and Ls and the Ravens have two Ls next to their name. Getting back home and playing a division rival should be enough to propel the Ravens to a victory.
Baltimore 26, Cincinnati 22
BookMaker sent out the NFL online odds for this Sunday game at Baltimore -2.5 with a total of 44. Live wagering during commercials offers adjusted moneylines, totals and spreads. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
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