The Atlanta Falcons will travel to take on the Baltimore Ravens in a Christmas Eve afternoon NFL matchup at M&T Bank Stadium. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL odds series, which includes a Falcons-Ravens prediction and pick, laid out below.
Atlanta is somehow still alive in the NFC South despite their 5-9 record. However, head coach Arthur Smith seems to be looking toward the future as Desmond Ridder is now the starting quarterback. Three wins could possibly mean a playoff berth for the Falcons.
Baltimore, at 9-5, is squarely in the playoff picture, sitting in second place in the AFC North. Without Lamar Jackson, the team has won two of their last three games. Once again, the Ravens will be without their star quarterback, but have been treading water while they wait.
Here are the Falcons-Ravens NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Falcons-Ravens Odds
Atlanta Falcons: +6.5 (-110)
Baltimore Ravens: -6.5 (-110)
Over: 34.5 (-110)
Under: 34.5 (-110)
Why The Falcons Could Cover The Spread
The Desmond Ridder era started with a whimper rather than a bang. Ritter completed 13 of his 26 passes for 97 yards without a touchdown or interception in last week's loss. Ridder also added 38 yards on the ground. Atlanta focused on the ground game last week, leaning heavily on Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson. Allgeier leads the team with 743 rushing yards, scoring two touchdowns, while Patterson leads the team with six rushing touchdowns and is second with 618 yards. Atlanta has rushed for 2,297 yards and 14 touchdowns as a team. Baltimore has been good against the run, holding opponents below 1,200 yards. Rookie
Drake London leads the team with 603 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Losing Kyle Pitts for the season hurts, but London and Olamide Zaccheaus have stepped up in his absence. Atlanta has been solid on offense, ranking 15th with 21.9 points scored per game.
Atlanta's defense has been an issue, allowing 23.8 points per game, which ranks 22nd in the league. Atlanta needs to pressure the quarterback better, totaling just 19 sacks. Baltimore's offensive line has struggled, allowing 33 sacks. Huntley has thrown two interceptions, so the pressure can also affect his decision-making.
Why The Ravens Could Cover The Spread
Tyler Huntley is the starting quarterback without Lamar Jackson and has gone 1-1 in his starts. Huntley has thrown for 413 yards without a touchdown and two interceptions. On the ground, Huntley has rushed for a touchdown. Without Jackson, not only is the team missing their leading passer but their leading rusher as well. JK Dobbins and Kenyan Drake have combined for five rushing touchdowns, and Dobbins appears to be healthy. Baltimore has rushed for 2,306 yards and 13 touchdowns as a team. Atlanta has allowed nearly 2,000 rushing yards to their opponents.
Mark Andrews leads the team with 702 receiving yards and five touchdowns, long a favorite target of Jackson. Devin Duvernay has added three receiving touchdowns. Atlanta has struggled against the pass, allowing over 3,500 passing yards. Baltimore has averaged 21.7 points per game, which ranks 16th in the league.
Baltimore's defense is elite, allowing 18.8 points per game, which is fourth in the league. Baltimore's pass rush has been lethal, sacking their opponents 42 times, while Atlanta has allowed 32 to their opponents. Pressure on Ridder will further complicate things, especially given his inexperience.
Final Falcons-Ravens Prediction & Pick
Everything about this game screams under. Baltimore's defense will do enough to rattle Ridder and win this game.
Final Falcons-Ravens Prediction & Pick: Baltimore -6.5 (-110), under 34.5 (-110)
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