This is what the Baltimore Ravens are supposed to look like. Not the injury ravaged team that suited up players who didn’t belong in the purple outfits and won just five games last season. John Harbaugh has his guys and he’s doing what he’s always done when he has them – winning football games. The Ravens are 3-0 for the third time in team history and look to extend that when they host the Oakland Raiders in a Week 4 matchup.
This contest in Week 4 of the regular season will go down Sunday, October 2, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at MT Bank Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oakland Raiders +4
Baltimore Ravens -4
Over/Under 46.5
Odds Analysis
Both teams like playing close games and this one should be no different. Early wagering favors the Raiders and the points, which is a smart play since Oakland is 2-0 SU and ATS on the road so far this season and the Ravens have won their three games against teams that are a combined 1-8 by a total of 13 points. The over/under is relatively high for a Ravens home game and the number scares me. I can see the total coming down slightly by game time, especially if Elvis Dumervil is ready to go.
Injury Report
Menelik Watson – Part of one of the NFL’s most underrated offensive lines, Watson left last game after aggravating a groin injury. The Raiders have had to do some maneuvering with their interior following injuries to Matt McCants and Austin Howard that kept them both out of the Tennessee game. The Raiders dressed just seven offensive linemen against Tennessee and the offense struggled at times managing 368 yards and a season-low 17 points.
Look Ahead
The NFL schedule makers did the Raiders no favors in the opening four games of the season. After playing in Tennessee on Sunday, the Raiders return home only to prep for another long road trip this week, closing out the first quarter of their schedule with three away games and approximately 12,600 miles travelled round trip. The longest journey of the three takes place this week when Oakland travels the roughly 2,445 miles one-way to Baltimore for a tussle with the undefeated Ravens.
The trips haven’t affected the Raiders yet as they have won both road games, knocking off the Saints in the opener and defeating the Titans on Sunday. This figures to be a much stiffer challenge both in travel distance and opponent toughness. Everything evens out in the end and if the Raiders can get through the first four games with three victories, the middle portion of their schedule sets up quite nicely with six of eight games at home and a bye following the Baltimore game.
Free ATS Pick
The Ravens had a difficult time on Sunday and easily could have lost to the Jaguars. But like good teams do, they found a way to win, escaping with a 19-17 victory to improve to 3-0. Like so many of the past Ravens’ teams it’s been the defense leading the way. Against Jacksonville, the unit picked off three Blake Bortles’ passes, recorded four quarterback sacks, stopped the run, and came up with big plays down the stretch to take and then preserve the lead. The defense has come up huge in every game, making the stops to get victories over Buffalo, Cleveland and the Jags.
The competition hasn’t been all that stiff with just one win combined by those three teams, but a win’s a win in this league. The Ravens will be challenged by Derek Carr and the Raiders’ offense, but they’ve proven to be stout against the other clubs. It will be up to Joe Flacco and the offense to start producing, and if they can’t dent the Raiders leaky defense, Oakland could come away with a win. I like the Ravens and their D is for real. This sets up to be a tight, low-scoring affair with the Ravens getting a victory and the Raiders covering the spread.
NFL Odds: Ravens 21, Raiders 20
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