NFL Betting – Titans favored over Ravens in defensive battle
- WHO: Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans (-3)
- WHAT: NFL betting
- WHEN: Saturday, January 10 at 4:30 p.m. ET
- WHERE: LP Field in Nashville, TN
- KEY STATS: Baltimore has won six of its last 10 against Tennessee
- PICK: Baltimore
NFL betting is getting hotter by the week, and offshore sportsbooks will only get busier this weekend with the divisional playoffs. The sports wagering action kicks off on Saturday, as two of the best defenses in the NFL clash when Baltimore heads to Tennessee to meet the AFC South champions, and Ravens vs Titans odds are giving the betting edge to the team with the league’s best regular-season record.
The Ravens showed why they were the No.2 defense in the NFL with a 27-9 romp in Miami during Wild Card weekend, as they held the Dolphins’ Wildcat offense to 276 yards, including 52 on the ground, while picking off Miami pivot Chad Pennington four times.
Ed Reed, who led the NFL in interceptions, had two picks and returned one for a touchdown, which was his third of the season. Joe Flacco was decent in his first playoff game, going 9-of-23 for 135 yards, but he didn’t turn the ball over, and he added a five-yard rushing score late to seal the deal. The Ravens also added 151 yards on the ground in the win.
The Titans flirted with an undefeated record, but their 13-3 mark still earned them a first-round bye and homefield throughout the playoffs, which is huge for a team that doesn’t have much playoff experience. The Titans were powered by the two-headed running game of Chris Johnson and LenDale White, while Kerry Collins provides a steady veteran hand at quarterback. The defense was seventh in the league, finishing in the Top-10 in both run and pass defense. The Titans should also have injured defensive linemen Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch, both two-time Pro Bowlers, in the lineup for this tussle.
The Ravens vs Titans line is favoring Tennessee by three points at home, and the Titans won a hard-fought 13-10 game in Baltimore back in Week 5. The teams were very even, and only a late Collins touchdown to Alge Crumpler made the difference.
STAN’S PICK: Online sports betting players should expect much of the same in this contest, as both teams will try to shut down the opposition running game and make the quarterbacks beat them. The Ravens have won six of their last 10 against the Titans, and they would love to avenge a playoff loss to Tennessee at home back in 2003. The Ravens’ experience will pay off, especially on defense, so bet online with the Baltimore Ravens to pull off an NFL betting upset on the road.
For more online sports betting analysis of the Ravens vs Titans odds as we head towards Super Bowl XLIII, bookmark The Betting Edge at BetOnline.com.
Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
