Week 9 - Ravens at Dolphins

After taking down the #2 defense in the league we have Baltimore coming to town.

 

A pair of two-win teams face off on Thursday Night Football in Week 9, as the Baltimore Ravens hit the road to take on the Miami Dolphins.

Both of these teams entered Week 8 with just one win, but the Ravens pulled off a huge win – without Lamar Jackson – against the Chicago Bears while Miami upset the Atlanta Falcons as a touchdown underdog.


Jackson appeared to be in line to return in Week 9, but he ended up getting ruled out on Saturday. It has been reported that Jackson is likely to return on Thursday, but he’ll probably need to log a few full practice sessions to make that happen.

If Jackson is unable to go, Tyler Huntley – who led the team to a win in Week 8 – would likely get the start for Baltimore.

Miami was a massive underdog after falling to 1-6 ahead of Week 8, but it dominated the Falcons and Kirk Cousins 34-10 on Sunday afternoon.

Tua Tagovailoa played his best game of the season, throwing for four scores, to give the Dolphins an easy win. Can Miami ride the momentum into a home matchup on Thursday?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch, betting trends and my prediction for the first primetime matchup in Week 9.
Ravens vs. Dolphins Odds, Spread and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Ravens -6.5 (-110)
• Dolphins +6.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Ravens: -310
• Dolphins: +250

Total

• 50.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Ravens vs. Dolphins How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, Oct. 30
• Time: 8:15 p.m. EST
• Venue: Hard Rock Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): Prime Video
• Ravens record: 2-5
• Dolphins record: 2-6

Ravens vs. Dolphins Betting Trends

• The Dolphins are 4-4 against the spread this season.
• The Ravens are 2-5 against the spread this season.
• Baltimore is 0-2 against the spread on the road this season.
• Miami is 2-1 against the spread at home this season.
• The OVER is 6-1-1 in Miami’s games this season.
• The OVER is 6-1 in the Ravens’ games this season.

Ravens vs. Dolphins Injury Reports
Ravens Injury Report

• Lamar Jackson – questionable
• TBA

Dolphins Injury Report

• Tyreek Hill – out
• Darren Waller – out
• TBA

Ravens vs. Dolphins Key Player to Watch
Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback, Dolphins
Tagovailoa entered Week 8 leading the NFL in interceptions, but he turned in a strong performance in the upset win over Atlanta, throwing for 205 yards and four scores while completing 76.9 percent of his passes.
Week 8 was a huge bounce-back showing for Tagovailoa, as he had thrown one score and six interceptions in his previous two games.

If Miami wants any chance at salvaging this season, Tagovailoa is going to have to look a lot more like the player he was on Sunday. The Ravens entered Week 8 at No. 30 in the NFL in EPA/Pass, but they held Caleb Williams without a touchdown and picked him off once.

With Jackson expected to return in this game, Tagovailoa is going to have a major test to lead his offense to enough points to win this game.

Ravens vs. Dolphins Prediction and Pick
There has never been an easier OVER bet to make between two teams that have combined for just four wins in eight weeks.

Miami has hit the OVER in six of its eight games, and it entered Week 8 last in EPA/Play and 30th in points allowed this season. The Ravens were in a similar spot, ranking 30th in EPA/Play and 29th in points allowed before giving up just 16 points to the Bears.

The difference? Baltimore cleared the 45.5 total in Week 8 behind a 30-point showing from the team’s offense with Tyler Huntley leading the way. Jackson is expected to return, but Huntley looked much better in Baltimore’s scheme than Cooper Rush did in previous weeks.

If Jackson does play, it should be a major shot in the arm to a Baltimore team that is 6-1 to the OVER and averaged nearly 40 points per game in the first three weeks with Jackson in the lineup, scoring 40, 41 and 30 points in those games.

 

Landed last night in Miami and hung out in South Beach. Already hooked up a tailgate.