Ravens Open as 3-Point Favorites vs Colts in Week 9
- Baltimore Ravens (5-2) open as 3-point favorites on the road against the Indianapolis Colts (5-2) for their Week 9 meeting (Nov. 8, 1 pm. EST)
- The Ravens (5-2) lost 28-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Colts beat the Detroit Lions 41-21 in their Week 8 contest
- See opening odds, team overviews, and a prediction about how the line will move
The Baltimore Ravens are the better team, but the Indianapolis Colts will have the better mood as they start preparations for their Week 9 contest next Sunday.
The Ravens are coming off a disheartening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and are dealing with the loss of star lineman Ronnie Stanley. The Colts, meanwhile, find themselves tied for first place in the AFC South Division. The Colts are 4-3 against the spread this season.
As the betting world analyzes what the loss of Stanley means and assesses whether the Colts are for real, the line could move in the Colts’ direction.
Ravens vs Colts Opening Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | -166 | -3.0 (-115) | Over 45.5 (-106) |
| Indianapolis Colts | +140 | +3.0 (-105) | Under 45.5 (-114) |
Odds taken Nov. 1st at FanDuel.
Ravens Lose Left Tackle Ronnie Stanley for Season
Coach John Harbaugh said that Baltimore blindside tackle Ronnie Stanley will miss remainder of the season after suffering a “severe ankle injury.”
On Friday, Stanley had signed a five-year contract extension paying him $112.9 million. According to Pro Football Focus, Stanley was the NFL’s highest graded pass blocker last season. He was ranked No. 2 before Sunday’s games.
Highest-graded pass-blocking Ts:
1. Laremy Tunsil – 92.6
2. Ronnie Stanley – 90.5
3. Garett Bolles – 88.3
4. Andrew Whitworth – 87.0
5. David Bakhtiari – 85.7 pic.twitter.com/cqTHTxQvIG— PFF (@PFF) November 1, 2020
Stanley got his leg rolled up blocking against Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt. Medical personnel immediately placed Stanley in an air cast and carted him off the field. Earlier, the Ravens lost rookie right guard Tyre Phillips to an ankle injury. He did not return.
With Stanley out, Orlando Brown Jr. moves from right tackle to left tackle and DJ Fluker takes over at right tackle. But this is a major loss for Baltimore, leaving the Ravens thin on the offensive line.
Lamar Jackson Isn’t Having MVP Season.
Coming into Week 8, the Colts were first in the NFL in rushing yardage and last in passing yardage. That’s not as alarming as it would be for most teams because Lamar Jackson is Baltimore’s quarterback.
His elusiveness and scrambling gives the Ravens an offensive dimension that few teams have. But here’s the issue: Jackson hasn’t been unstoppable like he was last season.
Jackson wasn’t Superman against the Steelers. He threw a pick six, had too many turnovers and couldn’t get it done on a fourth-and-three with the game on the line. He was good at times. The team needs exceptional.
Lamar Jackson had a career-high 4 turnovers today, breaking his previous high of 3, in his only other start against the Steelers.
Jackson has 7 turnovers in 2 starts against the Steelers, and 15 in 27 starts against all other teams pic.twitter.com/KhJrMBUNTK
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 1, 2020
Indianapolis Colts Are a Challenging Read
It’s hard to know whether to believe in the Colts. On one hand, Philip Rivers threw for three touchdowns against the Lions, to give him six TD tosses over the past two weeks. The Colts were sharp Sunday, sacking Matthew Stafford five times, causing a fumble on one of those sacks. They held the Lions to under 30 yards rushing, the second time this season they have held a team under that level.
But their 5-2 record still seems a bit soft. Three of their wins have come against the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals and Lions. None of those teams are going to the Super Bowl. They also beat the Minnesota Vikings when they were struggling. One of their losses came against a one-win Jacksonville team.
The bottom line for the Colts: they are improving as Rivers grows accustomed to the offense. They have now won five of their last six games, giving up an average of 18.1 points per game.
Philip Rivers on his 5-2 Colts: "Certainly you have a few moments where you go, 'Dadgummit we should be 7-0.'"
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) November 1, 2020
Early Odds are Where They Should Be
Even if the odds trickle toward the Colts, they should return to the early line by the end of the week. At -3, the odds have shown the Colts respect. The Colts have hope, but the Ravens have a history of success. Since the start of the 2018 season, the Ravens are 29-10 in regular-season games.
The Ravens are 3-3-1 against the spread this season, but bettors will still be inclined to give the points no matter what they are.
Kevin Allen has covered most major events, including the Olympics, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final. He covered the NHL for USA Today from 1986-2020, receiving the Lester Patrick Award in 2013 and was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014 with the Elmer Ferguson Award.
