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Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans NFL Odds & Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd

Ravens Titans Football

The Baltimore Ravens waved good bye to the feel good story that was the Miami Dolphins by thumping them for the second time this season in Dolphin Stadium. Now the Ravens will take on a Titans team which beat them in an earlier season contest and the NFL odds makers are giving Tennessee the nod again. The Tennessee Titans are listed as 3-point favorites with the total set at 34.

The key to Baltimore’s turnaround this season has been its ability to win on the road. The Ravens were just 1-7 on the road last season under Brian Billick but are 6-3 away from home under first year head man John Harbaugh. But the Ravens are faced with the task of beating the NFL’s second-best home team. The Titans finished the year with a 7-1 mark at LP Field. As I already mentioned, the Ravens lost to Tennessee 13-10 in Baltimore back on October 5th in a defensive battle. Last week’s win over Miami improved Baltimore’s playoff road record to 4-1 and it could be a good omen that they are the number six seed. In 2005, the AFC North’s Pittsburgh’s Steelers were the six seed and they went on to win the Super Bowl.

Defensively, the Ravens have already proven that they can stop the Tennessee offense once this season and Ray Lewis and the boys remain confident that they can do it again. Ravens safety Ed Reed has been a major problem for just about every QB facing Baltimore this season. He picked off a pair of passes and took one 64 yards to the house. The Ravens were also solid up front clogging holes and allowing Ray Lewis to pick up the garbage. He finished with nine stops as the Ravens completely shut down the Miami running attack. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for just 36 yards and didn’t break a run longer than seven yards.

Offense is the side of the football that is going to have to get the job done for the Ravens if they want to have a shot to win this game. That means Joe Flacco is going to have to be better. The rookie QB was just nine of 23 for 135 yards but on the plus side, he did not turn the ball over. You can count on the Titans making Flacco beat them so we’ll see if the rookie is up for the challenge. Le’Ron McClain fumbled on the first drive but bounced back strong, finishing with 75 yards on 19 carries. Willis McGahee also broke a 48-yard run in the fourth quarter on a touchdown drive that sealed the game. If you like Baltimore to continue its strong road play in the playoffs, bet the Ravens at +3 at Bookmaker.

The Titans know better than to take the Ravens lightly. Back in 2000, No. 1 seed Tennessee was stunned 24-10 by the Ravens thanks to a blocked field goal return for a touchdown and a Ray Lewis interception return for a score. The Ravens went on to claim the Super Bowl title.

Like Baltimore, the Titans have a dominant defense. We here a lot about Ed Reed, but you may hear plenty of cornerback Cortland Finnegan and safety Chris Hope who both made the Pro Bowl. The two helped contribute to the Titans picking off 20 passes this season. The speed the Titans possess in the secondary has also kept its opponent from hitting on many long bombs. Tennessee has only given up three passes all season long that went for at least 50 yards. The Titans finished sixth in the NFL against the run, allowing 93.9 yards per game.

The similarities between these two teams carry over to the offensive side of the football as well. The Titans have a great running attack and Baltimore is going to stack the box to make sure that its veteran QB Kerry Collins beating them and not the running back duo of Chris Johnson and LedDale White. Johnson rushed for 1,228 yards and nine touchdowns while White gained 773 yards and added 15 scores. While Collins has not put up extraordinary numbers, he has done an excellent job of managing the game and he has at least provided somewhat of a passing threat. Last year the passing game really struggled under Vince Young. Collins threw four more TD passes than Young did a season ago (13) and he threw 10 less interceptions. If you think this is Tennessee’s year, bet the Titans at -3 at Bookmaker.

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Written by Jimmy Boyd on January 6, 2009 · Filed Under NFL Betting Articles, News & Previews

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