The Baltimore Ravens took a serious hit in their 30-23 loss to the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football as they fell one game back of the Pittsburgh Steelers for top spot in the AFC North. The Ravens will look to bounce back this week when they host the Philadelphia Eagles as they need a win and a little help to move back in to a playoff position.
Moneyline: Baltimore -265
Handicap/Spread Odds: Ravens -5.5
Total O/U: 40
Last 4 Meetings: (Road/Home – Spread/Total)
| 09/16/12 | BAL 23 – PHI 24 | BAL 3 | O 46.5 |
| 11/23/08 | PHI 7 – BAL 36 | BAL -1 | O 39.5 |
| 10/31/04 | BAL 10 – PHI 15 | BAL 7.5 | U 37 |
| 11/16/97 | PHI 10 – BAL 10 | PHI 2.5 | U 41 |
On The Eagles Side of the Ball (5-8 Record, 5-8 ATS)
The Eagles appeared to be primed to contend for a playoff position when they opened the season with three straight wins and then a 4-2 record through their first six games but they have dropped six of seven since including four straight losses. The latest blow was a 27-22 loss to the Washington Redskins in which Carson Wentz threw for 314 yards and a touchdown with an interception and four sacks. There have been some calling for a quarterback change in Philadelphia but at this point it looks as though Doug Pederson will stick with his guy. There was bound to be growing pains in his first season and so far Wentz has shown enough positive signs to stick with him. The Eagles will be in tough this week against a very good Baltimore defense so they will need to help out their rookie quarterback with a ground game and protection in passing situations. The Philadelphia defense has regressed following a strong start to the year so it’s difficult to predict what to expect of them on the road in Baltimore this week.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/11/16 | WAS | L 22-27 | L 2 | O 48.5 |
| 12.04/16 | @CIN | L 14-32 | L 2 | O 42 |
| 11/28/16 | GB | L 13-27 | L -4 | U 47 |
| 11/20/16 | @SEA | L 15-26 | L 6.5 | U 42.5 |
| 11/13/16 | ATL | W 24-15 | W -2 | U 48.5 |
On The Ravens Side of the Ball (7-6 Record, 6-7 ATS)
Baltimore is just 2-2 in its last four games with wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins bookended by losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. The Ravens have shown throughout this season that they have the talent to win games but lately they have been very inconsistent on both sides of the ball. The Baltimore defense was torched for 406 yards and three touchdowns by Tom Brady last week including multiple plays in which the defense left receivers wide open on blown coverage plays. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns but the Ravens were held to just 42 yards on the ground and seemed content to keep trying to force the ball through the air without much balance on offense. That approach likely won’t change this week with Flacco set to carry the offense once again and they might not have as difficult of a time against the Philadelphia defense. Meanwhile, the Ravens will need a much better effort from their defense after they were torched by New England on Monday Night Football.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/12/16 | @NE | L 23-30 | L 6 | O 45 |
| 12/04/16 | MIA | W 38-6 | W -3.5 | O 41.5 |
| 11/27/16 | CIN | W 19-14 | W -3.5 | U 41.5 |
| 11/20/16 | @DAL | L 17-27 | L 7 | U 44.5 |
| 11/10/16 | CLE | W 28-7 | W -7.5 | U 44 |
Quick Analysis
Baltimore has covered in each of the last three meetings between these teams dating back to 2004 and they have covered four of their last six overall this season. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is 0-4 both straight up and ATS over its last four games and they will have a tough time stopping that slide on the road in Baltimore this weekend.
Prediction
The Eagles should stick by their rookie quarterback and continue to push through the adversity they are facing right now. Philadelphia needs more talent to surround Wentz with on offense and until they find it there will be some tough outings in which he struggles to make plays over stretches. This week will likely be one of those outings with Baltimore looking to get back in the AFC playoff picture with a win. The Ravens are one game back of top spot in the AFC North and one game out of a Wild Card spot so look for them to bring their best ot the table and bounce back with an important win on Sunday.
Pick: Baltimore -5.5
Note: Lines subject to change leading up to kick-off, so please be aware of the possibility of line movements.
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