The Baltimore Ravens have entered the contender conversation by winning four of their last five games. But their Week 9 test will be their toughest yet, as they play host to the Seattle Seahawks, on Sunday, November 5, at 1 p.m. eastern standard time, on the field at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.
Seattle enters this affair on a nice run of their own. They have won five of their past six and suddenly find themselves atop the NFC West division, following three straight losses from the San Francisco 49ers. And yet, the latest NFL online betting odds still peg the Ravens as favorites over the Seahawks:
Make sure to double-check these online NFL betting odds until you actually submit your wager. Our Seattle Seahawks vs. Baltimore Ravens betting odds are accurate entering Tuesday, October 30. That gives the best NFL online betting sites plenty of time to adjust their lines in advance of Sunday afternoon’s kick-off.
Initially, it’s a little surprising the Ravens aren’t more heavily favored. Not only are they playing at home, but betting lines on the Super Bowl have continued to show them more respect with each passing week. At the same time, Baltimore has largely fattened up their record on non-playoff hopefuls. The lone exception was a Week 7 victory over the Detroit Lions. And at this point, it’s pretty clear the Seahawks pose a tougher task.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Baltimore Ravens Could be the NFL’s Game of the Week
With all due respect to Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs, this could be the game that ends up featuring the highest stakes. Both the Ravens and Seahawks are trying to bolster their standing atop their respective divisions, and both are looking to prove their viability in a field that caters to more entrenched outfits.
Linemakers appear to recognize the appeal of the Ravens, at least to some degree. But the Seahawks are no pushovers. Though their offense has slowed in recent weeks (19 points per game), they maintain the ability to execute big plays. Quarterback Geno Smith is a whiz at extending downs with his feet, and Seattle is among the few teams that ranks in the top 12 of both net yards per rushing attempt and per pass attempt.
Of course, the Ravens are another team that places in the top 12 of both categories. And they are eighth in each department. Quarterback Lamar Jackson continues to drive everything. He won’t always record the glitziest passing totals, but he’s impossible for defenses to contain on the ground. It doesn’t matter how effective Seattle has generally been against the run this season. Jackson will cook them on the move at least a handful of times.
Playmaking will ultimately be the difference in our eyes. Both teams have their functional crutches. The Ravens merely have more. Beyond that, Baltimore has been more reliable in high-leverage situations. The Ravens have the league’s sixth-best third down conversion rate on the year, and only two teams do a better job scoring in the red zone.
OSB Prediction: Baltimore Ravens (-255)
The Seahawks and Ravens May be More Evenly Matched Than the Betting Odds Suggest
After much consideration, we kind of think oddsmakers are laying too many points in favor of the Ravens. You can see the latest NFL point spread betting odds for Baltimore vs. Seattle right here:
- Baltimore Ravens, -5.5 (-110)
- Seattle Seahawks, +5.5 (-110)
The betting markets remain fairly split on the Ravens vs. Seahawks point spread. We see both sides of the argument.
Skeptics of the Seahawks remain concerned with their performance on third downs. Seattle has also struggled with their red zone defense. Only two NFL teams allow scores on a higher percentage of their red zone possessions. That’s going to be a problem against a well-oiled machine like Baltimore.
Still, the Seahawks’ defense has come a looooong way in recent weeks. Anchored by a 24-3 shellacking of the New York Giants in Week 4, Seattle is surrendering under 13 points per game over their last four. No team has cracked the 21-point threshold against them since Week 3.
Relatively stingy play from the Seahawks’ front seven should help keep the Ravens in check. Seattle is third in net yards allowed per rushing attempt and seventh in net yards allowed per passing attempt. Even though we don’t think the Seahawks steal this one on the road, we do expect them to keep it close.
OSB Prediction: Seattle Seahawks, +5.5 (-110)
Bettors are Jumping on the Seattle vs. Baltimore "Over"
The Ravens enter Week 9 with the NFL’s best defense by points allowed per game. That, not surprisingly, has prompted a relatively conservative over/under for Sunday’s tilt:
- Over 42.5 (-118)
- Under 42.5 (-102)
Bettors have so far flocked to the “over.” That’s fairly shocking. As we already mentioned, the Seahawks have done a nice job holding opponents to fewer than two touchdowns in recent weeks. Throw the Ravens’ own defense on top of them, and this could easily be a slugfest.
Then again, Baltimore is coming alive on offense. They’re averaging over 30 points through their past three games. Their dual-pronged attack should hole up nicely even if Seattle is defending its butt off up and down the field. Give us the “over.”
OSB Prediction: Over 42.5 (-118)
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