The Baltimore Ravens have a tough divisional matchup in Week 14 when they travel to face the Cleveland Browns, who are coming off their bye week.
Before their bye, the Browns lost at Baltimore, 16-10. So let’s look at the NFL odds for their game this week to see if the Ravens can win.
Lamar Jackson Needs to Play Well
Lamar Jackson has struggled over the past few weeks.
They’ve won three out of their last five games. Their losses came on the road against the Miami Dolphins and last week versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jackson threw for 238 yards at Miami with one touchdown and an interception. Both teams were inconsistent with their ground games, and Baltimore turned the ball over twice. That led to a lopsided loss, 22-10.
Jackson attempted nine rushes for 39 yards, while Devonta Freeman had only 35 yards on ten carries. With a passer rating of 73.6, it was the second-lowest for Jackson all season.
That trend continued when the Ravens hosted the Browns in Week 12. After Jackson missed a game against the Chicago Bears, he threw four interceptions versus Cleveland. It was his worst performance of the season.
Jackson had a passer rating of 46.5, but he was also the leading rusher. He totaled 68 yards on 17 attempts.
He fared better at Pittsburgh last week, but he still threw an interception. The Ravens lost 20-19 after failing to convert for two points in the fourth quarter.
Jackson’s thrown eight picks in his last four games and been sacked 16 times. In his past three games, he has a QBR of 35.0, which is 22nd in the NFL. Baltimore has won two of their previous three games, but can they keep winning without fixing their turnover problems?
Ravens Defense Needs to Improve
Baltimore’s pass defense ranks second to last in the league, allowing an average of 272.4 yards per game. Cleveland is 24th in the NFL in passing yards per game, so this might not be of particular concern this week. However, the Ravens could be in trouble if Jackson turns the ball over this week as he did against Cleveland two games ago.
Cleveland relies on its rushing attack to win games. The Browns’ running offense ranks third in the league, averaging 147.1 yards per game. Primary rusher Nick Chubb averages 5.8 yards per rush and has six touchdowns this season.
The one thing Baltimore’s defense does well is limit the run. Their run defense ranks first in the league, allowing an average of 84.3 yards per game. So if Baltimore can limit turnovers, slow Chubb down, and force Mayfield into long passing downs, they’ll give themselves the best chance to win this game.
Baltimore Ravens: NFL Week 14
If Baltimore can limit their turnovers, they’ll stand a great chance to cover the spread and win this game. I doubt that Lamar Jackson will throw four interceptions again in this game. Still, it’s important to remember that Cleveland made some mistakes of their own that limited their ability to capitalize on those turnovers. They had a penalty for too many men on the field on a Baltimore fourth down and missed a 46-yard field goal.
Jackson may not throw four interceptions, but I doubt that the Browns will make these costly mistakes again this week after an extra week of preparation. Jackson has to play a clean game for Baltimore to win. I’m expecting another close game with the Ravens winning 21-17.
What do you think? Do you like the Baltimore Ravens to win at Cleveland this week?
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