Ravens Clinch Home-Field Advantage in Playoffs, Super Bowl Odds Improve to +200
- The 13-2 Baltimore Ravens clinched home-field advantage in the AFC on Sunday via a 31-15 win over the Cleveland Browns
- Oddsmakers list the Ravens as +200 favorites to win Super Bowl 54
- Entering play Sunday, Baltimore’s average odds to win the Super Bowl were +228
The Baltimore Ravens are the only team in NFL history to play in multiple Super Bowls without suffering defeat. Baltimore is 2-0 in Super Bowl play. Might the Ravens be in line to complete the hat-trick this season?
Certainly, that’s the evidence on the field and at the sportsbooks. At 13-2, the Ravens own the NFL’s best record. They’ve won 11 games in a row.
The AFC North champions have already clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and can opt to rest several starters during their Week 17 regular-season finale at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sportsbooks have improved Baltimore’s 2020 Super Bowl odds to +200. Since November 29, the Ravens have been favored to win the Super Bowl and those chances keep improving.
Super Bowl 54 Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | +200 |
| New England Patriots | +500 |
| San Francisco 49ers | +500 |
| New Orleans Saints | +600 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +700 |
| Green Bay Packers | +1400 |
| Seattle Seahawks | +1400 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +2000 |
| Houston Texans | +3300 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +3300 |
Odds taken Dec. 23.
Last week, on average across the leading sportsbooks, Baltimore was +228 to win the Super Bowl.
Raving About the Ravens
It’s been a record-setting season for the Ravens, and the hits just keep on coming.
For the first time since the original Cleveland Browns relocated to Baltimore 24 seasons ago, the Ravens are a #1 seed in the postseason.
The AFC goes through Baltimore. ? pic.twitter.com/3Ft4Rpckza
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 22, 2019
Lamar Jackson, the favorite to be NFL MVP, owns the league single-season mark for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,206). Sunday, he set a Ravens single-season franchise record for TD passes. He’s thrown for 36 scores. Vinny Testaverde (33) set the previous team standard in 1996.
Their 13 wins match a franchise single-season record as well. Baltimore’s seven road wins are a new club mark.
1 seed but we’re not done yet ? pic.twitter.com/FrAbumLfIh
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 22, 2019
Baltimore has posted wins this season against five other 2019 playoff teams. The Ravens beat the Seattle Seahawks 30-16, New England Patriots (37-20), Houston Texans (41-7), San Francisco 49ers (20-17) and Buffalo Bills (24-17).
They’ve also beaten the Steelers 26-23 and play Pittsburgh again on Sunday. The Steelers remain in contention for the final AFC Wild Card spot.
The Kansas City Chiefs, 33-28 victors over Baltimore in Week 3, are the only playoff team to get the better of the Ravens this season. Baltimore has already beaten both of last season’s Super Bowl teams – the Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams (45-6).
Bye-ing In
Five of the last six Super Bowl champions were all #1 seeds – the 2013 Seattle Seahawks, 2014 and 2016 New England Patriots, 2015 Denver Broncos and 2017 Philadelphia Eagles.
Truss We did that ? https://t.co/lFLYZraLFj
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) December 23, 2019
Seven of the last 10 AFC Super Bowl reps were #1 seeds and nine of ten earned first-round byes. The lone exception was Baltimore. The 2012 Ravens won the Super Bowl as a four seed. The 2000 Ravens also won the Super Bowl as a #4 seed.
The Ravens are 6-1 at home this season.
Ingram Injury a Worry?
One disconcerting note on a Sunday of celebration came when running back Mark Ingram was forced out of the game with a leg injury. It was later diagnosed as a calf strain.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh indicated after the game that the belief was there’s no structural damage. Ingram left the stadium Sunday in a walking boot. He’s slated for an MRI on Monday.
Franchise record-tying 15 touchdowns this season for @markingram21 ❗️❗️ pic.twitter.com/l4l4INOCFO
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 22, 2019
Ingram has rushed for 1,018 yards and 10 TDs this season. Between running and catching, he’s scored a franchise-record 15 TDs this season.
He’ll have nearly three weeks to rest up and heal before Baltimore’s Divisional Round playoff game either January 11th or 12th.
Ravens Are Deserving Super Bowl Favorites
When they opened the season 2-2, there were legitimate questions that could be posed about the Ravens. While the offense was spectacular, Baltimore’s defense was horrid.
The Ravens surrendered over 500 yards of offense in consecutive losses to the Chiefs and Cleveland Browns. They’d allowed 395.5 yards per game through Week 4.
Lamar Jackson didn’t realize Mark Ingram reached the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the @Ravens until his post-game interview.
His reaction was priceless. pic.twitter.com/hrtFFdnMLg
— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) December 22, 2019
That malady has been repaired. Baltimore is now the #5 defense in the NFL (309.4 yards per game) and the #4 rush defense (93.0 ypg).
The Ravens are the NFL’s #2 offense (414.5 ypg) and #1 rushing (204.9) and scoring offense (33.5 points per game).
Should it come down to a last-second field goal, Baltimore’s Justin Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history (90.625 percent).
Pick: Baltimore Ravens (+200)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
