The teams met in Week 16 of the regular season with the Baltimore Ravens in the middle of a run that got them the AFC North title. They stifled the Los Angeles Chargers with a smothering defense that limited the Bolts to fewer than 200 total yards while pestering Philip Rivers all afternoon. Rookie Lamar Jackson has been sensational since taking over, saving the Ravens’ season and John Harbaugh’s job in the process. Jackson literally ran the Ravens to the playoffs, now he’ll look to get past the Bolts for a second time in three weeks.
Watch this Wild Card Round contest live on Sunday, January 6, 2019, at 1:05 p.m. ET at MT Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Los Angeles Chargers +2.5
Baltimore Ravens -2.5
Over/Under 41
Live Betting Odds Analysis
It sucks for the Chargers to match the best record in the conference only to be stuck in the same division as the Chiefs, and losing the tie-breaker relegated them to the fifth-seed. Forced to go on the road for the Wild Card Round may not be a bad thing for the Bolts, who had the best away record in the AFC at 7-1 and tied the Saints for the best mark in the NFL. The Chargers won their last six road games pulling off upsets in Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Seattle along the way to go 6-0 ATS in that stretch and 7-1 ATS for the year.
The fortunes turned for the Ravens after their bye and the insertion of Jackson into the starting role. They ended the season winning three straight and six of their final seven games to overtake the Steelers and win the AFC North. Three straight losses prior to the off week had talk flying about the job status of Harbaugh, but the league’s No. 1 defense and the running of Jackson changed all that. Baltimore went 4-0 at home during its season-ending run holding opponents to an average of 17.3 points per game.
Last Meeting
When the teams played in Los Angeles during Week 16, the Bolts were coming off an emotional win over the Chiefs that tied them for the AFC West lead. It wouldn’t have been a surprise for them to have a letdown, and we can blame their poor performance on that. The reality, however, is that the Ravens have a special defense and it was on display that Saturday.
Brandon Carr set the tone on the first offensive play by intercepting Rivers and the Ravens cashed in with a field goal. Baltimore held LA to 72 total yards in the first half but had just a 6-3 advantage at the break. The Ravens showed their resilience in the second half when they fell behind for the first time following a Kenneth Dixon fumble deep in Baltimore territory on the first possession.
The Ravens won the game doing what they did best in the second half of the season. They were opportunistic on offense and the defense swarmed. The Chargers managed just 198 total yards and Rivers was ineffective completing 23 passed for only 181 yards while the Ravens tallied a pair of interceptions and four sacks. Gus Edwards totaled 92 yards and the Ravens amassed 159 on the ground with Jackson an efficient 12 of 22 for 204 yards and a score. Fittingly they put the game away with a defensive score when Tavon Young returned a late fumble.
Matchup to Watch
The Ravens finished with the second-best ground attack in the NFL, but they were devastating over the final seven games with Jackson behind center. Over that span they ran for 1,607 yards averaging almost 230 yards per game, and they eclipsed the 200-yard mark five times with a season-best 296 in the season finale against Cleveland.
With Jackson and Edwards doing plenty of damage, the Ravens ran the ball 63 percent of the time over their final seven games. Edwards rushed for 654 yards while Jackson compiled 556 over that stretch. The Chargers held them to 159 yards in their Week 16 meeting, the Ravens lowest rushing yard total in their last seven games.
Chargers at Ravens Live Betting
Expect to see the Ravens do what got them here. They will run the football and try to control the tempo with their defense. Jackson doesn’t throw the football unless he has to and if the Bolts get him in that position, they could have a favorable outcome. I also anticipate the Chargers making the proper adjustments. As poorly as they played in the earlier matchup, the Bolts were right there. Don’t expect Rivers to make the same mistakes and the Chargers will take this one with a late score and defensive stop.
NFL Live Betting Odds Pick: Los Angeles Chargers +2.5
NFL Score Prediction: Chargers 24, Ravens 21
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