There’s only about 40 miles that separate Baltimore from D.C. yet the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins haven’t met in a regular season game since 2012. Fans in the Beltway region will get a special treat when the neighboring rivals collide for just the second time in Maryland’s largest city in Week 5, but the game could be held under the threatening skies of Hurricane Matthew, which is supposed to make an appearance over the weekend.
This contest in Week 5 of the regular season will go down Sunday, October 9, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at MT Bank Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Washington Redskins +3.5
Baltimore Ravens -3.5
Over/Under 46.5
Odds Analysis
The betting public is backing the Redskins at +3.5 in their road tilt at Baltimore. Despite going 3-1 to open the year, the Ravens haven’t been the most dominant team and failed to cover in each of their last two games. Their three wins have come by a combined 13 points and they fell at home to the Raiders last week as a 3.5-point favorite. The over/under opened as the highest of any Ravens game this year and if the threat of Hurricane Matthew becomes a reality, the total will definitely fall back.
Injury Report
Ryan Kerrigan – Washington’s defense got hit with the injury stick again as linebacker Kerrigan and safety Su’a Cravens both exited Sunday’s game. Kerrigan left with an elbow injury while Cravens entered the concussion protocol. The secondary, in particular, is a mess though the Skins got away with a lack of depth against the offensively-challenged Browns.
Eric Weddle – Baltimore’s starting safety entered the concussion protocol following Sunday’s loss to Oakland. Weddle has become the Ravens leader on defense and has drawn comparisons to Ray Lewis for his intensity and style of play. He’s more of coach for the entire unit, according to coordinator Dean Pees.
Weather Report
It’s still early but the East Coast could be hit hard by Hurricane Matthew and that could last into the weekend, possibly creating abysmal playing conditions at several locations, including the Ravens’ home stadium. The projected path of the hurricane is along the East Coast, however plenty can happen between now and when the storm is expected to reach the States. This is definitely a weather event to keep an eye on as we move ahead in the week with game totals sure to be affected by the outcome of this.
The Hurricane could be reduced to a category 3 by Sunday, but heavy winds and plenty of rain are expected. The actual path and how close Matthew is to land will be better known by mid-week. Given the potential for sloppy playing conditions, the Ravens would likely have an advantage with a defense that is better prepared to stop a rushing attack. Baltimore also has a stronger run game which would allow them to control the football. Also, look for a lower scoring affair if Matthew does hit close to MT Bank Stadium.
Free ATS Pick
Given the uncertainty about the weather conditions for this matchup it’s better to play it safe and nobody does that better than John Harbaugh. The Ravens are a typical AFC North team that likes to control the line of scrimmage, play hard-nosed defense, and use the ground game to its advantage. Even in good conditions, the Ravens are successful when the games are low-scoring and close.
The Redskins haven’t had much success on the ground but did come away with a win over the Browns last week by running for 143 yards. But it was against the Browns, who have the worst run defense in the league. It will be more of a challenge to run the football against the Ravens and the team that’s able to chew up yards and avoid turnovers has the edge. That team is the Ravens. Joe Flacco has been more consistent and the Ravens’ defense will be able to slow Washington when it needs to. The over/under is up there and if the conditions are as bad as expected, that plays into the under.
NFL Odds: Ravens 18, Redskins 13
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