There's nothing like waiting all day for Sunday night! Buckle up football fans, as a monumental AFC showdown will be in the works when the Baltimore Ravens battle things out with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Sunshine State. You know what time it is! Let's check out our NFL odds series where our Ravens-Jaguars prediction and pick will be made.
Don't look now folks, but the Ravens are looking like quite the formidable force out in the AFC. In fact, Baltimore is s consistent as they come and are capable of beating the teams they should and can also hang with the top dawgs of the NFL. While taking a closer look, the Ravens have come out triumphant in seven of their last eight games and don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
For the time being, the flimsy Jacksonville Jaguars are clinging to a one-game division lead in the AFC South, but with four weeks remaining in the regular season, no lead is safe. With two straight losses, it's no time to hit the panic button, but falling short on Sunday night could make the ‘Jags grow even more weary with the holiday season approaching.
Here are the Ravens-Jaguars NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Ravens-Jaguars Odds
Baltimore Ravens: -3 (-120)
Jacksonville Jaguars: +3 (-102)
Over: 41.5 (-110)
Under: 41.5 (-110)
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Why The Ravens Could Cover The Spread
With an MVP candidate leading the way under center and a defense that is stingy as they come, the Ravens are the real deal. Currently, the odds-on-favorite to capture home-field advantage as the AFC one-seed, a hectic conference race to the bitter end leaves Baltimore with little room to make any mistakes down the stretch.
After torching the Los Angeles Rams in overtime-winning fashion, Mr. Lamar Jackson has officially returned to his MVP form from a couple of years ago. En route to torching the Rams defense for 316 yards and three passing touchdowns through the air, Jackson remains an absolute game-changer at the quarterback position. Not to mention, this offense as a whole has been clicking all year long with the fourth-most points per game (27.4) and the third-most yards per play as well (5.8).
As it stands, this Jaguars defense are no slouches, but they aren't as elite compared to the other defensive units within the National Football League. If all else fails, don't be surprised if the Ravens turn to their bread and butter by pounding the rock down the throats of Jacksonville which will in turn set up some deep chunk play opportunities with the play-action pass.
Why The Jaguars Could Cover The Spread
Simply put, the time is now to go hard or go home. Put up or shut up. To make a long story short, a victorious outing against a championship-caliber team like Baltimore would go a long way in restoring Jacksonville's confidence and morale to make a run in the AFC. While coming out on top versus the Ravens will prove to be no easy task, don't count out a desperate Jaguars crew who are nipping at the bit to showcase they have what it takes to belong among the upper-echelon of the AFC.
The first order of business that needs to be conducted for the Jags to treat their home fans with a much-needed victory is to find their footing on the defensive side of the ball. Shockingly enough, this defense was flat-out lackluster. As a result, they gave up 34 points to Jake Browning and 31 to newly signed Joe Flacco. To put it frankly, this is simply unacceptable for a team with championship aspirations. At the end of the day, wreaking havoc in the turnover department and putting pressure on Lamar will be an absolute must.
On the other side of the ball, far too many giveaways have been the Achille's heel for this offense. With 22 total giveaways which ranks near the bottom of the league, Jacksonville has become far too prone in making bone-headed decisions with the football. Whether it's catching a case of fumbilitis or throwing interceptions at too high of a rate, the Jaguars must play cleanly to play spoiler. At the NFL level, losing the turnover margin is often far too difficult to overcome.
Final Ravens-Jaguars Prediction & Pick
With major playoff implications on the line in this one, expect this one to come down to the wire! Due to the nail-biting nature of this showdown, take the Jaguars at home to give the Ravens a run for their money.
Final Ravens-Jaguars Prediction & Pick: Jaguars +3 (-102)