Public Siding with Ravens Over Bills in Week 14, Sharps Picking Buffalo – Picks, Odds & Preview
- The Baltimore Ravens have won eight straight games entering Sunday’s matchup with the Buffalo Bills
- 63% of the action by handle and 71% of the bet count is on the Baltimore Ravens
- Get the odds, our pick, and all the info you need to bet the game below
The Baltimore Ravens have another showdown against a top team this week, which makes it their fifth game in the last six weeks against a team with a winning record. After disposing of all of the others, bettors believe the Ravens are the side to play in their showdown with the Buffalo Bills. Are they right or is there value with Buffalo?
Baltimore Ravens vs Buffalo Bills Handle & Odds
| Team | Spread | Betting Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | -6.0 (-115) | 63.0% |
| Buffalo Bills | +6.0 (-105) | 37.0% |
Odds taken Dec. 7
Bills Still Trying to Build Credibility
The Bills are currently 9-3 and the nine wins they’ve collected matches the most they’ve had in an entire season in the last 20 years (haven’t won 10 games or more since 1999). However, bettors still feel that the Bills are not as good as their record indicates, as they’ve only beaten one team with a winning record.
The Bills appeared to earn that badge of credibility by going to Dallas on Thanksgiving and winning convincingly. The issue is that the Cowboys lost to Chicago this Thursday and all of the sudden don’t look like a very good team, so that takes away from the Bills’ big showing.
The only other playoff-caliber team the Bills beat was the Tennessee Titans, and that was when Marcus Mariota was starting at quarterback for them. Overall, the combined record of the Bills’ opponents is 53-91. Sunday is going to be a big step up in competition for them.
Ravens Have Demolished the Competition
Just one win separates the Ravens and Bills in the standings, but the general view is that the gap between the two teams is much wider. That’s because not only have the Ravens played the tougher schedule, they’ve been more impressive in their wins versus those quality teams.
Starting with the schedule, the Ravens have won eight straight and the combined record of their opponents in that stretch is 52-33. This isn’t just a row of cupcakes – they played the 10-0 New England Patriots, 10-1 San Francisco 49ers and 9-1 Seattle Seahawks, and beat all of those teams.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e_-ZwxF7js
Over the last two months (during this winning streak), the average final score in the Ravens games is 33-14, which shows you just how dominant they’ve been. They’re averaging 209 rushing yards per game on the season, which – if it holds up – would break the previous season average by over 10 yards per game.
When you juxtapose their efforts with the Bills, the Ravens’ achievements blow away what the Bills have done.
What’s the Best Bet?
This figures to be a bad matchup for Buffalo because they’re not built for shootouts. If the Ravens score early and force the Bills to go blow-for-blow, this won’t end well for Buffalo. A big concern for Buffalo here has to be their run defense. They’re ranked 14th overall and allow 4.5 yards-per-carry, which ranks 21st.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_i1lfbZXJ0
However, keep in mind that the Bills’ run defense has mostly muzzled the weak opponents but struggled against the good teams. They’ve allowed just 812 rushing yards in their nine wins (90.2 per game) but gave up 439 in their three losses (146.3). I’m expecting the Ravens to run it down their throats and pull the Bills into a shootout where they won’t thrive.
Most of the money is on the Ravens in this game and I think that’s the right side here.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
