The Baltimore Ravens, who are ranked #1, will take on the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs on Saturday. After winning the AFC North and six consecutive games, Baltimore (13-4) rested its starters in Week 18. The Browns were defeated by the Texans (10-7) 45-14 in the Wild Card Round, and since then, they have won three consecutive games. The Ravens prevailed 25-9 at home against Houston in their first encounter between the two teams in Week 1, and Baltimore has now won their previous four games with Houston.
In Baltimore, kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. ET. In the most recent Ravens vs. Texans odds from SportsLine consensus, the Ravens are 9.5-point favorites, and the over/under, or total number of points Vegas believes will be scored, is 43.5. Given his expertise with Ravens choices, you should check what seasoned SportsLine NFL analyst Mike Tierney has to say before making any Texans vs. Ravens predictions.
Mike Tierney is a seasoned journalist who has covered seven Super Bowls and covered the NFL for decades. His writing may be seen on occasion in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. He just finished the 2022 NFL season with 68-54-6 record and $815 to $100 player return, which is a generally good season for him.
Furthermore, he has returned an incredible $2,810 on his previous 70 NFL choices, going 48-18-2 in Ravens games. He is far up for everyone who has following him.
The algorithm is now focused on the Texans vs. Ravens game and has released its forecasts and choices. To see his selections, go to SportsLine right now. For the Texans vs. Ravens game, the following NFL odds and betting trends are available:
Ravens vs. Texans over/under: 43.5 pts; Ravens vs. Texans spread: Baltimore -9.5
• Money line for the Ravens vs. Texans: Baltimore -451, Houston +348
Ravens vs. Texans picks: Check out SportsLine’s selections. • HOU: Texans are 10-7-1 against the spread this season. • BAL: Ravens are 11-6 against the spread.
• Ravens vs. Texans live stream available on fubo (free trial)
Why Ravens are able to cover
Houston was soundly defeated by Baltimore earlier in the season, even though Lamar Jackson scored 0 touchdowns overall. The Ravens defense, which is ranked as the best in the NFL statistically, performed well in that game by preventing Houston from reaching the end zone. In addition to being second in redzone defense and sixth in overall defense, it led the league in points allowed and turnovers caused. The Ravens have retained all four of their previous opponents, who all completed the season above, and that group is operating at peak performance heading into the divisional round.500—down to 19 or less points.
With its intricate running system, Baltimore’s offense ranked third in rushing average and led the league in rushing yards. Lamar Jackson led the NFL with 5.5 yards per run, but Gus Edwards also accumulated over 800 yards of rushing. Only four teams have allowed more running touchdowns than the Texans, indicating Houston’s struggles against the run. Since the Texans were the only NFL team to allow more running touchdowns to quarterbacks than any other, they have been particularly harmed by mobile quarterbacks like Jackson.
Why Texans are capable of covering
Houston’s aerial offense has a robust group of pass-catchers. In 2023, Nico Collins elevated himself to the position of top weapon for the Texans. Collins follows the ball effectively while it’s in the air and has excellent body control. With 1,297 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, the Michigan product tied for sixth place in the NFL. Collins has five games with more than 100 receiving yards during the regular season.
Collins had a touchdown on six receptions for 95 yards in the Wild Card victory against the Browns. The Texans benefit on tight end Dalton Schultz’s sense of dependability. Schultz runs sound routes and has steady hands and strong speed. 59 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns were his season total. He hauled in a 37-yard touchdown reception during his last game.
How to choose the Texans vs the Ravens
While we can see that Tierney is leaning, he has examined the Texans vs. Ravens game. He has also found a crucial X-factor over the point total that has him leaping all over one side of the spread. Only at SportsLine is he disclosing what it is and which side to support.
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