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After seeing their NFL Preseason winning streak snapped, the Baltimore Ravens face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It is time to continue our NFL Preseason odds series with a Ravens-Buccaneers prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Ravens went into their game with the Commanders winners of 24 straight preseason games, but they fell 29-28 to Washington. The Commanders scored nine points in the fourth quarter, including a 49-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the game to take the win. The game was carried at quarterback by Josh Johnson and Anthony Brown. Both threw two touchdown passes, but also both threw interceptions in the game. Meanwhile, Melvin Gordon got some action in the game. He took eight carries in the losing effort.
The Buccaneers come in off a 13-6 win over the Jets. Kyle Trask played well in the game, as he went 20-28 with 218 yards, but it was not enough for him in the end on a personal level. Baker Mayfield has been named the starting quarterback of the Buccaneers. Still, the defense played well shutting down Tim Boyle and Zach Wilson. They held the Jets to just two field goals while creating five turnovers in the game.
Here are the Ravens-Buccaneers Preseason NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Ravens-Buccaneers Odds
Baltimore Ravens: +2 (-110)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -2 (-110)
Over: 36.5 (-110)
Under: 36.5 (-110)
How to Watch Ravens vs. Buccaneers
TV: NBC11 (Baltimore), NBC8 (Tampa Bay)
Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Ravens Could Cover The Spread
The Ravens will be looking at the backup quarterback situation in this game. After Lamar Jackson went down last year, the offense went stagnant. They averaged just 20.6 points per game, and that fell to 13 in the last five games. Jackson will be back for the regular season, but there are still questions as to who will back him up. The battle seems to be narrowed down to Josh Johnson and Tyler Huntley. Anthony Brown has struggled in the preseason, throwing for just 50 percent of his passes for 47 yards with two picks. Meanwhile, Johnson has looked solid. He has 190 yards on 18-24 passing, three touchdowns and an interception. Huntley looked solid in his one game too. He went 8-11 for 88 yards and a score in his time playing.
Meanwhile, the battle to back up JK Dobbins is in full effect. Gud Edwards is the presumed backup, and he has looked good in his limited action. He has 21 yards on just four carries. Still, Justice Hill and Melvin Gordon sit on the roster. Hill has 73 yards on just five carries, including a 37-yarder. Gordon has 50 yards on 14 carries. The Ravens will need to be looking at their running game in this one. They have yet to score a touchdown on the ground in the preseason.
There is also a bit for the second to make the roster at the tight end spot. Charlie Kolar and Travis Vokoklek are right now the third and fourth tight ends on the roster. While the Ravens may keep four tight ends, it is also possible one will be given their walking papers. Kolar has caught four of the five targets his way for 75 yards. Meanwhile, Vokolek has 58 yards while catching five of six targets and scoring twice. Tylan Wallace has also done well in the preseason showing he deserves a look. He has just three receptions but has scored twice in them.
Why The Buccaneers Could Cover The Spread
The question for the Buccaneers in this game will be the offensive line. They struggled last year to protect Tom Brady, but they do have slightly more mobile quarterbacks behind center this year. In this game, they will most likely be protecting Kyle Trask and John Wolford. Trask has been solid in the preseason so far. He is 26-38 with 317 yards and a touchdown so far. Meanwhile, Wolford has 168 yards passing on 14-21 with a touchdown as well. Trask is going to be the number two on the roster, but Wolford will be going out to show he is worth keeping around.
The Bucs have also seemed to settle on Rachaad White as the starter at running back. He does not have a carry yet in the preseason, so he may get some work early. They will then hand off the ball to a large stable of running backs all looking to get reps this year. Chase Edmonds has played in just one game, and he had just 18 yards on six carries. Sean Tucker has the best average per attempt out of the group, sitting with 47 yards on 13 carries, good for a 3.6-yard per-carry average. Patrick Laird has 11 rushes for 28 yards as well. Still, the team is averaging just 2.4 yards per carry and has yet to score on the ground in the preseason.
Finally, there will be a focus on the defense. The defense was solid last year but lost some parts in the secondary. They allowed just 21.1 points per game last year, but replacing players will be key. Dee Delaney and Zyon McCollum are looking to show they are worthy of being consistent players to help this pass defense out. Delaney has been solid, with nine tackles a pass deflected and an interception so far in the preseason. McCollum also had a pick in the preseason, and he has six tackles. They could be fighting it out for that Nickle spot in this game Meanwhile, the Bucs did spend a sixth-round pick on Josh Hayes, who has not shown a ton but has been a reliable tackler.
Final Ravens-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick
The Ravens always play to win. They went full bore in the game with the Commanders and just came up short. In this one, they will put pressure on Kyle Trask and John Wolford due to the suspect offensive line. Meanwhile, there will be mistakes made by the Ravens quarterbacks, but they will also make up for those. The Ravens will be led by the defense in this one, but score enough to take the win.
Final Ravens-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick: Ravens +2 (-110)
