Monday Night Football Betting Picks & Predictions for Baltimore Ravens vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Baltimore Ravens put their four-game profitable streak on the road once they head south to face the Buccaneers.

These groups have so much in frequent. 

They’ve similar information at 4-2 and average almost 30 points per game. It’s no shock we now have a complete that’s as excessive as 50 at some sportsbooks. 

Nonetheless, if one thing appears to be like too straightforward, then it in all probability is. I’ll share why a first-half play on the Ravens affords the perfect worth on this matchup.

Watch out for the backdoor cowl

We’ve seen some motion on the full-game line with Tampa Bay as 3.5-point underdogs after opening at +5.5. 

That transfer is especially attention-grabbing as a result of the damage report does not imply something alarming for the Ravens.

It’s solely potential that the bookmakers merely despatched out a awful opening quantity for the sport. 

Nonetheless, the road was in all probability a bit steep provided that these groups are of an identical caliber, which raises the query of why the Ravens would lay such a quantity on the street on this spot.

In any case, the Buccaneers have spectacular victories over the Commanders, Lions and Eagles—three groups with a mixed file of 14-5.

The road transfer does inform us that the Ravens can generally be responsible of enjoying with their meals.

In different phrases, they don’t all the time put their opponents away convincingly to kill off a recreation and repel any comeback threats.

For years, it’s been the Ravens’ protection that’s carried the crew. Now we’re seeing the entrance workplace spend extra of its sources on offense to enhance their two-time MVP at quarterback, Lamar Jackson.

When Baltimore offers its protection a lead, it may well get picked aside. In response to FTN Fantasy’s DVOA metric, the Ravens rank 18th within the league in opposition to the move.

Buccaneers can play from behind

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is in the midst of one of the best starts of his career, as he’s tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns with 15 on the season.

Beforehand, Mayfield was extra thought-about a recreation supervisor, however he’s been capable of come into his personal on this Tampa Bay offense.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, who has a defensive pedigree, was way more conservative in his first cease as a head coach with the New York Jets.

However now he’s turn out to be way more amenable to letting his quarterback sling the rock because the Buccaneers rank within the league’s prime half in move play share (57.1%).

There was a transparent shift within the Buccaneers’ strategy beneath Bowles as a result of he does have an excellent run offense. Tampa Bay is one in every of seven groups that common not less than 5 yards per carry.

Nonetheless, stopping the run is one thing the Ravens’ protection does very nicely, because it leads the league within the fewest yards per carry (3.0), dashing makes an attempt allowed (19.5) and yards allowed per recreation (59.0).

These numbers communicate to Baltimore’s dominance early in video games as a result of groups typically must abandon the run when enjoying from behind. 

I anticipate an identical situation on Monday evening with a Tampa Bay protection that ranks twenty seventh in first-half factors allowed (14.0).

Greatest wager: Ravens 1H -1.5 (-110 at FanDuel)