Ravens Meeting Undefeated Denver Broncos in Top Week 4 Tilt

Ravens Meeting Undefeated Denver Broncos in Top Week 4 Tilt

NFL fans will learn how authentic the 3-0 Denver Broncos are this Sunday when they play the Baltimore Ravens at home.

The Broncos, 3-0 in the AFC West and 3-0 against the NFL betting spread, are 1-point favorites against the perennially tough Ravens, but Denver’s schedule makes many take the unblemished record with a grain of salt. Denver’s wins are against the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets – three of the worst teams in the NFL, in fact all are 0-3.

Meanwhile, the Ravens are 2-1 in the AFC North and 1-2 ATS. All of Baltimore’s games have come down to the wire: Wins against Kansas City and Detroit and an OT loss to Las Vegas. Last week, they needed a superhero kicking effort from Justin Tucker, who booted an NFL record 66-yarder, to win the game against the Lions on the final play.

The Broncos stats should be viewed through the lens of drawing an incredibly easy schedule so far. Still, for NFL odds purposes, on paper this game is a matchup of Baltimore’s relentless running game (No. 1 in the NFL again, gaining about 185 yards a game) and Denver’s run defense (No. 2, giving up about 60 yards a game).

In early Maryland betting sites action, the money has been heavy on the Ravens with Baltimore (a 1-point or half-point underdog at most sportsbooks as of Thursday afternoon) attracting 82% of the public money on the spread and getting 90% of the cash on the moneyline at about -110. The O/U is 44.5 to 45.5 and the betting public likes the under by a 2-to-1 margin.

Prediction: The Broncos might be better than folks thought before the season but their 3-0 start is largely due to an incredibly easy schedule. The Ravens keep playing in tight games, and last week’s win should not have come down to Justin Tucker’s 66-yard FG (although in Denver, he might kick one 70 yards). Baltimore’s big problem has been injuries and the most worrisome are in the defensive secondary. Still, the Ravens have Lamar Jackson. Ravens 27, Broncos 17.

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Author

Bill Ordine

Bill Ordine was a reporter and editor in news and sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Baltimore Sun for 25 years, and was a lead reporter on a team that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News. Bill started reporting on casinos and gaming shortly after Atlantic City’s first gambling halls opened and wrote a syndicated column on travel to casino destinations for 10 years. He covered the World Series of Poker for a decade and his articles on gaming have appeared in many major U.S. newspapers, such as the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald and others.

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