Colts Ravens Betting – Ravens Look To Make Statement In Pursuit Of Division Title
Since the arrival of the Ravens to the NFL, both the new Baltimore franchise and the old Baltimore franchise have tasted Super Bowl success, but as the two prepare to clash this weekend, it will be a meeting of two teams headed in completely opposite directions. While the Ravens are on pace to battle the Pittsburgh Steelers down to the wire for the top spot in the AFC North and perhaps destined for a Super Bowl run, the Indianapolis Colts are still winless, and while they may very well be chasing after the top quarterback prospect in college, their biggest need may be the return of their own Pro Bowl quarterback in Peyton Manning.
Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens
Sunday December 11, 2011 – 1:00 PM ET
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
NFL Betting Lines: Baltimore Ravens – 16.5
Manning has missed the entire season with a neck injury, and while he still hasn’t ruled out playing this season, the Colts might prefer that he spends the next few months simply rehabbing and being ready for next year. Indianapolis has already clinched the top pick in next year’s NFL draft, but that doesn’t mean they won’t continue to lose with the sportsbooks labeling them as a massive underdog for this week.
Colts Ravens Betting Preview: Indianapolis Colts
It’s more than likely that the Colts will turn back to Dan Orlovsky under center this week after he threw for 353 yards and two touchdowns in a close home loss to the New England Patriots last week, but while he was impressive at times, he was playing against one of the worst secondary unit’s in the league. The Ravens’ defense is at the entire opposite end of that spectrum with the fifth ranked pass defense, but are also second against the run so Orlovsky might not have a choice but to throw the ball. Indy’s offensive struggles have led to the defense being overexposed, and they now rank in the bottom third of the league against both the run and pass.
Colts Ravens Betting Preview: Baltimore Ravens
After a couple of bumps in the road earlier in the season against inferior competition, the Ravens are back on track with three straight wins and in a tie for the top spot in the AFC North at 9-3. Three of Baltimore’s final four games are against teams with sub-.500 records, so perhaps mental toughness will be the biggest key to them locking up their division. While the Ravens’ defense is once again operating at an elite level, the offense hasn’t kept pace to this point, as they rank near the middle of the pack both in terms of rushing and passing. A big part of that is on the shoulders of quarterback Joe Flacco, who will need to continue to improve as he is given every opportunity for success.
Colts Ravens Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
While the sports betting number for this game is somewhat high at 16.5, the Ravens are looking to make a statement, and the odds are that they won’t let Orlovsky get in their way. Baltimore lost a couple of games they felt were against inferior opponents earlier in the year, so look for them to avoid another letdown and come up with a big win on Sunday.
Colts Ravens Betting Pick: Baltimore Ravens
