Take last year’s leading rusher and a big part of the NFL’s most explosive offense out of the lineup and you might expect a dropoff in production. Without Kareem Hunt following his release, the Kansas City Chiefs still dropped 40 on the Raiders in a win last week to maintain their lead in the AFC. Riding the hot play of Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens have crept into contention and look to slow down the league’s highest scoring team by putting the No. 1 defense on the field in a Week 14 showdown at Arrowhead Stadium.
Watch this Week 14 regular season matchup live on Sunday, December 9, 2018, at 1 p.m. ET at Arrowhead Stadium.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Baltimore Ravens +7.5
Kansas City Chiefs -7.5
Over/Under 53.5
The NFL is all about offense these days with teams like the Chiefs, Saints and Rams getting the headlines for their ability to score a boatload of points. And it is exciting to see games where teams move up and down the field and score on nearly every possession. The Chiefs have done that all season behind the strong arm tactics of Patrick Mahomes and the group of playmakers he has at his disposal.
But don’t discount the other side of the football and what playing strong defense can do. The old saying of defense wins championships will be tested this season by the Ravens, who lead the league in total defense and scoring defense three-quarters of the way home. Baltimore held Matt Ryan and the Falcons to 131 total yards, that’s right one-hundred-thirty-one total yards, in Atlanta in a game the home team needed to keep its slim playoff hopes alive.
While the defense should be grabbing the headlines in Baltimore, it isn’t. That’s because everyone wants to know who the starting quarterback is going to be. Lamar Jackson took over a few weeks ago when Joe Flacco was injured, and all he’s done is help carry the team to three straight wins, getting the Ravens back into a playoff spot with a chance at catching the Steelers for first in the AFC North.
The Ravens are winning the old fashioned way – with a stingy defense and a powerful run game. Jackson’s passing numbers have been dreadful with only 453 yards on 39 completions over the last three games and he hasn’t thrown for more than 178 yards in any of them. But he gives the team a dimension they lack with Flacco behind center. Jackson’s ability to keep opponents honest with his ability to scramble and run the football has opened things up.
Flacco is getting healthier, but it’s hard to imagine John Harbaugh moving away from a winning formula. Jackson has rushed for 265 yards over the last three games and the emergence of Gus Edwards has given the Ravens a pair of options. The two combined for 157 rush yards last week, outgaining the Falcons in their 38 combined carries. The Ravens want to keep the ball away from the Chiefs offense and leaning on the ground game will enable them to do that.
Baltimore has rushed for over 200 yards in each of the last three games while having no fewer than 43 carries. Prior to Jackson taking over, the team high was 123 rush yards and 35 attempts. Look for plenty of carries from Edwards, who’s averaging 105 yards per game over the last three with nearly 5.2 yards per carry. Wagering on Edwards and the Ravens going over their rushing yard total on a prop bet at BookMaker.eu is a smart play.
Playing their first game without Hunt, the Chiefs responded nicely by reaching the 40-point mark for the fifth time this season. And it was another stellar afternoon from Mahomes, who tossed four more touchdown passes to increase his league-leading total to 41. The Chiefs will run the football and Spencer Ware is a capable replacement. He led the Chiefs in rushing in 2016 before losing his starting job to Hunt last season after an injury. Ware had 47 yards on 14 carries against the Raiders and will get used to his new role, allowing him to exceed his yardage total on Sunday. Any you can also pencil in a scoring pass from Mahomes, who has 10 in the last two games and has tossed at least four in a game seven times.
Ravens at Chiefs Live Betting
Baltimore wants to slow things down and they will attempt to do that by running the football behind Jackson and Edwards. If they have success, the score will play into the Ravens hands. If not, the Chiefs will go up and down the field. Watch to see how that plays out early on and make your wagers accordingly on the adjusted live betting lines at BookMaker.eu.
NFL Betting Odds
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