Free Picks Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans

Jordan Horrobin
By: Jordan Horrobin
01/10/2021
NFL Free Picks - Best Bets of the Week
Titans vs Ravens NFL Wild Card
Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans, NFL, Nissan Stadium

The Baltimore Ravens (11-5) have had ups and downs aplenty this year, but of late they look like the team that was on pace to reach the Super Bowl this time last year. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans (11-5) are in position to play spoiler against the Ravens as they did in last season’s playoffs.

Battle of best rushing offenses pits Derrick Henry vs. Lamar Jackson and Co.

Derrick Henry, or Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards? Who’ve you got?

It can’t be that simple, of course, but the rushing leaders on Tennessee and Baltimore should be at the forefront of bettors’ minds ahead of Sunday’s wild card matchup, in which the Ravens are 3-point road favorites (-115 at 888Sport) on various betting sites.

Baltimore and Tennessee rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, in team rushing attack. The Titans have the flashier name in Derrick Henry, who is just the eighth running back ever — and first since 2012 — to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. The man is a battering ram with legs and one pronounced dreadlock.

But is it better to have Henry, the ultimate running back trump card, or a stable of running options like the Ravens do?

Lamar Jackson, the reigning MVP, is the only quarterback in league history to rush for 1,000-plus yards in multiple seasons. Meanwhile J.K. Dobbins (805 yards, nine touchdowns) and Gus Edwards (723 yards, six touchdowns) are an impeccable one-two punch out of the backfield. All three Ravens rushers average five or more yards per carry.

The difference is that Baltimore has shown it can stop the run (108.8 yards allowed, eighth in NFL) and Tennessee hasn’t (120.8 yards allowed, 19th in NFL). Baltimore is also the steadier team of late, winning five consecutive games straight up — and six consecutive against the spread.

It would be unfair to ignore last year’s playoff meeting between these two, when Tennessee covered a 10-point underdog spread in a straight up victory. And in November, the Titans covered as underdogs in another straight up victory.

But what the Ravens have shown lately in their hot streak, as well as their improved ability to stop the run, makes them the ATS pick here.

Join 888Sport Now
FREE PICK: RAVENS -3.0 POINTS
-115

Stats

  • Baltimore is 7-3 ATS in its past 10 games
  • The UNDER has cashed in five of the Ravens’ past nine games
  • Tennessee is 5-5 ATS in its past 10 games
  • The OVER has cashed in eight of the Titans’ past 10 games

Jordan Horrobin is a freelance sports journalist based in Toronto, Ontario, who enjoys sports-related research and telling engaging stories. His work can also be found at Sportsnet, Forbes and elsewhere. Though he abandoned most of his team-specific fandoms in the interest of unbiased analysis, Jordan roots hard for his fantasy football/hockey teams (and he's a complete homer for all things Ohio University).

NFC Standings

TeamWLPCT
1Packers1340.765
2Buccaneers1340.765
3Cowboys1250.706
4Rams1250.706
5Cardinals1160.647
649ers1070.588
7Eagles980.529
8Saints980.529

 

AFC Standings

TeamWLPCT
1Titans1250.706
2Chiefs1250.706
3Bill1160.647
4Bengals1070.588
5Patriots1070.588
6Chargers970.563
7Raiders970.563
8Steelers970.559

Key Dates

2021-22 Season
Training camps beginJuly 27
Preseason debutAugust 12
Regular season beginsSeptember 9
Trading deadlineNovember 2
Regular season endsJanuary 9
Wild CardJanuary 15
Divisional RoundJanuary 22
Conference ChampionshipJanuary 30
Pro BowlFebruary 6
Super BowlFebruary 13