The Baltimore Ravens looked an awful lot like the team that would represent the AFC in last year’s Super Bowl. Until the playoffs started, that is. But they couldn’t get by the Tennessee Titans, who were the hot team at the time. The Kansas City Chiefs were hotter, of course, and they are the champs, while Baltimore still aspires to it. These teams will meet on Monday Night Football this week at M&T Bank Stadium, kicking off at 8:15 PM ET. And it is significant, in that they are co-favorites to win the Super Bowl at SportsBetting, both priced at +500.
Both teams are 2-0. The Ravens have rolled past Cleveland (38-6) and Houston (33-16), while the Chiefs beat Houston rather handily in the Thursday night game to begin the season (34-20), then had ail they could handle with the L.A. Chargers last week before barely pulling out a 23-20 victory.
Baltimore’s ground game
This is the principal thing the Chiefs have to stop. The Ravens’ run frequency is 54.5%, which its the third highest in the league. And they’re averaging over five yards per carry. Last week against Houston they rolled up 176 yards on the ground. And this made up for Lamar Jackson having a day that was something less than sensational (18-24, 204 yards).
Baltimore’s run game is effective for a lot of reasons. One of those is that they are deep. Between Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins, in addition to Jackson himself, they wear defenses down.
The recent history
These teams have met in each of the last two seasons. And both those games took place at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City has won them by scores of 27-24 and 33-28. In last year’s clash, Baltimore had 203 rushing yards, while Patrick Mahomes passed for 374.
Here are the numbers….
In the Monday Night Football betting odds at SportsBetting, the Ravens are laying points at home.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs MNF Betting Odds
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | +3½ (-107) | 54 (-115) | +163 |  |
| Ravens | -3½ (-113) | 54 (-105) | -191 | |
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The Chiefs have to put the stoplight on
There was a word before last Sunday’s game that Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor was ruled out with a chest injury. Into the breach stepped rookie Justin Herbert, who seemed to be problematic for the KC defense. Herbert passed for 311 yards as the Chargers led most of the way. They led 17-6 until late in the third quarter, but the Chiefs came back and then kicked a field goal in overtime.
If Kansas City was burned by a first-time starter, what will the reigning NFL MVP do to them? Jackson’s range isn’t necessarily all that broad, but he does some good things in the short passing game, particularly with tight ends.
Chiefs and Ravens on streaks
The Chiefs have won their last eleven games and covered ten of those. The Ravens, meanwhile, have won 14 consecutive regular-season games, and have covered eleven of the last 12. So obviously neither side is trending downward.
Conclusion
From what we have seen out of the Chiefs’ offense, they have the potential for an imposing run game. That’s because of the presence of rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who topped the 100-yard mark in the opener vs. Houston. Mahomes has as many outlets to throw to as anybody. Even with all the speed they have, the bread-and-butter guy is Travis Kelce, who caught nine passes last week.
We don’t know that Kansas City has made sufficient additions to make themselves double-tough against the run. And why were the Chargers able to do as well as they did for their rookie QB? Because they were able to establish the run.
Both offenses are capable enough to put a lot of points on the board. And they will. It’s an OVER for us.
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