The Baltimore Ravens profile as one of the best teams in the NFL. Others still get more shine when analysts and fans discuss betting on Super Bowl 58, but the numbers say this team is right up there with the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, et al. The question entering their Week 14 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, on Sunday, December 10, at 1 p.m. eastern standard time, on the field at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland: Is that an accurate statement?
Fortunately for Baltimore, their mettle isn’t in question entering Week 14. The latest NFL online betting odds have pegged them as heavy favorites over Los Angeles:
Please remember to double-check these online NFL betting odds until you actually submit your wager. Our Rams vs. Ravens Week 14 betting odds are accurate entering Friday, December 1. That gives the best NFL online betting sites plenty of time to make adjustments leading into opening kick-off on Sunday afternoon.
On the surface, Baltimore doesn’t have much to prove in this one. Indeed, the Ravens have one of the league’s top records. They are also one of the scant few teams that rank inside the top seven of both points scored and points allowed per game. And on top of all that, they haven’t necessarily played out the easiest schedule. Their catalog includes a pair of victories over the Cincinnati Bengals as well as wins over the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks.
Nevertheless, the Ravens are about to be tested. Coming out of their Week 13 bye, they have the NFL’s toughest remaining schedule. In fact, this matchup with the Rams might be one of their two easiest games left on the docket.
Baltimore’s other four tilts come versus the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers. The matchups against the first three, in particular, will be difficult. That increases the importance of the Steelers game in Week 18 and this Week 14 showdown with the Rams. Will the Ravens get the victory? Or will the Rams continue riding the momentum they’ve built up since their own Week 10 bye?
Are Oddsmakers Overestimating the Baltimore Ravens as They Play Host to the Los Angeles Rams?
It isn’t that we don’t think the Ravens should be favorites. But 4.2-to-1 favorites? That’s pretty steep. This is probably a nod to Baltimore’s defense and Los Angeles’ shaky offense.
But the Rams’ own defense has tightened up in recent weeks. The Rams are allowing just 16.7 points over their past three games. They also haven’t given up more than 229 passing yards since Week 4.
Rickety displays on third and fourth downs continue to plague Los Angeles’ defense. Baltimore’s offense has proven lethal on third downs and in the red zone. That could make for a terrible match on the Rams’ end.
There’s also the matter of just how decisively the Ravens have been picking up victories. Their past six wins have come by an average of 17.5 points. That’s categorically absurd.
Tack on the fact that Baltimore is coming off a bye and has lost just once at home all year, and you start to understand the Ravens Week 14 moneyline. We’re still uncomfortable with how uneven it looks, but not nearly enough to bet against them.
OSB Prediction: Baltimore Ravens (-420)
Matthew Stafford is Starting Perk Up for Los Angeles Entering Week 14
Given how well Los Angeles has played since Week 10, we expected the Rams vs. Ravens Week 14 point spread betting lines to be closely contested. However, much like the moneyline, odds makers have given Baltimore a sizable advantage:
- Baltimore Ravens, -7.5 (-115)
- Los Angeles Rams, +7.5 (-105)
The betting public doesn’t appear fazed. Most of the action is on the Baltimore Ravens to cover the point spread. Given our trepidation over the Ravens moneyline, you might expect us to roll with the Rams. And, well, we’re slightly tempted.
Ultimately, Baltimore’s performance in victories is too ridiculous to deny. Every single one of the Ravens’ five wins at home have come by double digits. And the Rams, for their part, have turned in a couple of stinkers on the road. They were trucked by both the Dallas Cowboys (Week 8) and Green Bay Packers (Week 9). It may be no different going up against a dominant home team like Baltimore.
OSB Prediction: Los Angeles Rams, +7.5 (-105)
Will Offense or Defense Steal the Show in Ravens vs. Rams?
The Ravens vs. Rams over/under betting lines might be harder to parse than any other game on the NFL Week 14 schedule:
- Over 44.5 (-105)
- Under 44.5 (-115)
The majority of the Rams vs. Ravens bets have skewed toward the “under.” That makes sense. Baltimore’s defense is elite across virtually every metric. They can give up bigger plays on the ground, but they make up for it with suffocating pass prevention as well as the NFL’s best red zone defense.
Some might also be concerned the Ravens offense can’t hold up their end of the bargain. After all, they mustered a measly 20 points against the Chargers in Week 12. However, even with that game baked in, Baltimore is averaging over 30 points through their past seven games. Los Angeles’ defense has not been nearly good or consistent enough this season to be the force that stops this points-piling train. Especially when the Ravens are so good at protecting the ball and the Rams struggle to generate extra possessions with turnovers.
This decision still isn’t easy. In the end, we trust Baltimore’s offense to score enough for this game to clear the “over.”
OSB Prediction: Over 44.5 (-105)
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