Ravens vs Colts Odds
| Ravens Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 43.5 -110o / -110u | -350 |
| Colts Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 43.5 -110o / -110u | +275 |
Ravens vs. Colts odds have Baltimore laying 7.5 points in NFL Week 3.
Despite this being a rebuilding year, the Colts have shown they are not to be underestimated. The key question to this game: How well can Gardner Minshew run an offense that was built for rookie Anthony Richardson?
Let's break down the game and make a Ravens vs. Colts pick.
Ravens vs. Colts
Matchup Analysis
The Ravens' 2-0 start has been exciting but also costly.
They are missing two offensive linemen, their two best defensive backs and Odell Beckham Jr. The injury bug seems to bite Baltimore more than any other team each year. Whether it is the play style, practice intensity, training or just something in the water, the Ravens can't seem to keep their best players on the field.
Fortunately, the man most influential to Ravens' success, Lamar Jackson, is still healthy.
In games Jackson has started, the Ravens have an absurd record of 47-16. Even the transition to a pass-first offense has not slowed him down. He is completing 74.5% of his passes, which is significantly higher than his career average (64.1%). His 7.4 yards per attempt is in line with his career average.
Defensively, the Ravens proved their mettle against the Bengals.
Baltimore answered the call facing an offense loaded with talent, holding the Bengals to 216 passing yards and just 66 rushing yards. The Ravens' defensive success comes from the ability to step up in high-leverage situations. They have the seventh-best defense on fourth down and third-best in the red zone, per Pro Football Reference.
Bet Baltimore vs. Indianapolis at FanDuel
Indy has been one of the bigger surprises of the early season.
With six minutes left in the fourth quarter in Week 1, they led the Jaguars. Then in Week 2, they absolutely crushed Houston, leading by 21 points going into the 4th.
The offense has been far better than expected, ranking 16th in points per drive. This seems average on paper, but compared to other teams with rookie quarterback starters, they look way ahead in their rebuild. Transitioning to Gardner Minshew will be a transition given the drop-off in athletic ability compared to Anthony Richardson.
We saw something similar last year when Minshew played for the Eagles. Minshew played excellently when filling in for Jalen Hurts, throwing for 355 yards and two touchdowns against Dallas' premier defense. The undervalued part of that performance was it was under Shane Steichen, who happens to be the Colts' new head coach.
Defensively, the Colts have been monsters against the run and completely lost against the pass. Their 2.6 yards per rush allowed is the best in the league; they rank 25th in net yards per pass allowed.
The Colts have been successful forcing their opponents to be one dimensional. Now, they need to convert that to total defensive success.
Ravens vs. Colts
Betting Picks & Predictions
When a starting quarterback goes down, the biggest question marks are how the backup will play and how the system will adjust. For the Colts, both of these were answered last year when Steichen and Minshew showed offensive success in a couple of spot starts.
As for the Colts defense, it looks like they are in huge trouble against a pass-heavy team.
Fortunately for us, we don’t need Indy to stop Baltimore entirely — just prevent them from pulling away. Baltimore has built multiscore leads in each of its first two games and then struggled to control the clock. This will play into the strength of Indy's rush defense and allow Minshew plenty of chances for a backdoor cover on the large spread.
I will once again join Minshew Mania, and trust him to keep things close.
