Ravens vs Dolphins: One of the NFL Best Bets This Season?

This Thursday, a strong contender takes on one of the most disappointing teams in the league, and the spread is only 7.5 points. I’m as surprised as you are.

John Harbaugh and his Ravens have been electric this season. Even so, the current NFL betting odds have them barely favored by more than a touchdown against the 2-7 Dolphins.

Do the oddsmakers know something we don’t? Is this one of your NFL best bets, or is it a trap?

Let’s dive deeper into the numbers and see what we can find out about this prime-time matchup on Thursday night.

Lamar Jackson: Man on a Mission

Last week, Lamar Jackson led his Baltimore Ravens back from a two-touchdown deficit, and they were able to beat the Vikings in overtime. If that isn’t the Ravens season summed up into one game, I don’t know what is.

Jackson has put the whole city of Baltimore on his back this year, leading the Ravens to their shiny 6-2 record. He’s also leading the Ravens to 427.9 yards per game, 2nd best in the NFL.

One of the main factors in that ranking is Jackson’s legs. He’s been able to run over almost every defense he’s faced this year. As a result, Jackson just matched Michael Vick’s 100-yard rushing game record for QBs, and it only took him about 100 fewer games.

Pair that with a healthy dose of Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews in the passing game, and you’ve got an offense averaging 27.6 points a game.

With Jackson being the 1st player in NFL history with 2,000 pass yards and 600 rush yards through 8 games of a season, it’s safe to say the Dolphins will struggle.

Miami Dolphins Struggling on Both Sides of the Ball

Jacoby Brissett took over for the injured Tua Tagovailoa in Week 9 versus the Texans, and the Dolphins barely won. However, this Thursday Night Football matchup is a short turnaround game, and if Tagovailoa misses more time, the Dolphins are in a lot of trouble.

Holding the 5th worst offense in the league, Miami hasn’t scored efficiently without Tagovailoa. They are only scoring 17.2 points per game on a league-worst 4.7 yards per play.

To go along with their anemic offense, Miami has been very disappointing defensively. They allow 111 rushing yards and 280.9 passing yards per game, ranking 30th in the league in yards allowed.

Is Ravens vs. Dolphins One of Your NFL Best Bets This Week?

To put it briefly, yes. I don’t understand how this spread is only 7.5 points, even after looking deeper into the numbers. The Dolphins cannot stop the run; meanwhile, the Ravens have a quarterback breaking rushing records left and right.

Also, without Tagovailoa, the Dolphins have had issues on offense and could only put up 17 points against a dreadful Texans team. Finally, I would be surprised if the Ravens didn’t win by double digits on Thursday and will happily back Baltimore at this number.

Place Your NFL Bets

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