Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions Odds & Game Pick (2021)

Sep 24, 2021 - 10:19 AM

Both the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions played in primetime in Week 2, but the results were wildly different.

The Ravens scored a resounding, resilient victory at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. While the Lions collapsed in the second half to lose at Green Bay.

Will the 1-1 Ravens be ripe for a letdown after that emotional victory? Or will they dominate a Detroit team that’s not talented enough to overcome its mistakes? Let’s break down this conference crossover.

View our Pick of the Day in the BettingPros mobile app (free!) >>

Details 

• Opening line: Ravens -7.5
• Current line: Ravens -7.5
• Total: 50

Baltimore looks to keep the momentum rolling 

The Ravens really needed their Week 2 win over Kansas City. Baltimore was battered by devastating injuries throughout the preseason. They lost on Monday Night Football in brutal fashion. Coming home on a short week, seemingly nobody believed in the Ravens. And a loss to Kansas City might’ve sent the season into an early tailspin.

Baltimore’s win was incredibly impressive considering they trailed the entire game and were down 35-24 midway through the third quarter. The Chiefs typically don’t surrender double-digit leads in the second half. But the Ravens found a way, and Lamar Jackson was the primary reason why. The resolve they displayed was awfully impressive.

Jackson wasn’t perfect — he threw two interceptions, including one that went for a touchdown on Baltimore’s opening drive — but he persevered. He threw for 239 yards, rushed for 107 and scored three touchdowns. Baltimore racked up 481 yards of total offense, but the running game ran the show. The Ravens dominated the line of scrimmage and gauged Kansas City for 251 rushing yards.

The Ravens shouldn’t have many issues getting whatever they want offensively against a Lions defense that’s allowing 6.6 yards per play.

Defensively, coordinator Don Martindale deserves a ton of credit for adapting his defensive scheme in the win over Kansas City. Martindale typically runs a blitz-heavy scheme and relies on his cornerbacks to hold up in man coverage. That strategy often backfires against Mahomes, who is one of the league’s best QBs against the blitz.

This game was entirely different. Per ProFootballReference.com, the Ravens blitzed just five times against Mahomes last Sunday night. The Chiefs still racked up more than 400 yards of offense, but they went 1-for-6 on third down attempts and only put up 28 offensive points. That’s an accomplishment against the Chiefs.

Martindale will most likely revert back to his normal game plan against the Lions. And that strategy should be far more effective against Jared Goff, who’s historically struggled against the blitz and offers very little mobility outside of the pocket.

On the injury front, the Ravens will look to get left tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Jimmy Smith back on the field after they both missed last week’s game.

Check out all of our NFL game previews and picks >>

Lions have pride, but not much else

Let’s give the Detroit Lions some credit. They’ve been competent and competitive, and that’s much better than what many people expected heading into the season.

The problem is, Detroit doesn’t have the talent to overcome costly mistakes. Detroit led 17-14 at halftime and gave Green Bay a run for its money. But the game turned midway through the third quarter when the Lions failed a 4th-and-1 from Green Bay’s 25-yard line.

Monday night’s loss gave us a look at the good Jared Goff and the bad Jared Goff. In the first half, Goff was efficient. In the second half, he was a disaster. He refused to look off his first read on that failed 4th-down attempt. He fumbled the snap on Detroit’s ensuing drive after rain began to fall. Then, he threw an interception that essentially sealed the deal.

However, the Detroit offense that many assumed would be trash has been actually pretty decent. It’s the defense that has been as bad as advertised.

The Lions have allowed 76 points and 765 yards on just 116 plays. Their already thin secondary is now without 2020 first-round pick Jeff Okudah for the season and has allowed 9.4 net yards per pass attempt thus far.

While Baltimore doesn’t have a ton of pass-catching talent, Marquise Brown, Mark Andrews, and Sammy Watkins could be poised for impressive performances.

Bottom Line 

Laying more than a touchdown on the road is always a risky proposition in the NFL, but the Ravens are a great frontrunner who tends to take care of business against bad teams. Since 2019 (Jackson’s first year as a starter), the Ravens are 9-5 against the spread as a road favorite.

This game sets up for a Baltimore beatdown. The Lions gave up 131 rushing yards to San Francisco in Week 1, so Baltimore’s running game should have plenty of success. And while I don’t love Baltimore’s receiving weapons, they’re more than good enough to exploit Detroit’s lousy back four.

This matchup also spells disaster for Goff. Once the Packers dialed up more pressure in the second half, Goff reverted into a pumpkin. He could crumble against this Baltimore blitz and doesn’t have the weapons on the outside to exploit Baltimore’s banged-up secondary.

This isn’t something I do often, and it’s not my favorite play of the weekend. But it’s Baltimore or nothing in this spot.

Pick: Ravens -7.5 (look for -7 or better)

Bet $10, Win $200 if Your Team Scores a TD >>

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including How to Bet on Sports — or head to more advanced strategy — like 10 Tips to Become a Sharper Sports Bettor — to learn more.

Matt Barbato is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Matt, check out his archive and follow him @RealMattBarbato.

The post Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions Odds & Game Pick (2021) appeared first on BettingPros.