Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions: Contrary to Sunday night’s primetime game, NFL fans should expect plenty of offensive firepower when the 1-1 Baltimore Ravens host the 1-1 Detroit Lions.
In Week 2, the Lions exploded for 52 points against the Chicago Bears, while the Ravens rolled up 41 on the Cleveland Browns. And don’t forget, Baltimore opened the year by dropping 40 on the Bills.
Can Lamar Jackson and the Ravens keep the scoring barrage going, or are the Lions as dangerous as they looked last week? Here are my predictions and picks for the Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions Monday Night Football showdown.
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Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions NFL Betting Insights
Goff and the Lions look to overcomes one of the NFL’s top teams on Monday Night Football
What We’ve Seen: Both teams have endured quite the rollercoaster ride in just two weeks of this young NFL season.
The Lions embarrassed themselves at Lambeau Field in a 27-13 loss to the Packers, only to turn around the next week, flip the script and dish out an even harsher punishment to a different division foe, hammering the Bears 52-21 at home.
Meanwhile, the Ravens were involved in one of the wildest games you’ll see all year. Despite holding a 40-25 lead in the fourth quarter, they somehow collapsed in a 41-40 home loss to the Buffalo Bills. To their credit, Baltimore responded the following week by steamrolling the Cleveland Browns, 41-17.
So what can we really make of these teams thus far?
Well, with Detroit, we have to understand a few things. They’re certainly not as bad as they looked in Week 1 – that was a perfect spot for the Packers. Then in Week 2, the Lions found themselves in a favorable situation of their own, taking advantage of a banged-up, undisciplined Bears team in what felt like a must-win spot.
Detroit is a really good team, but I don’t think we should label them great just yet. The talent is there, no question, but they’re still adjusting to major changes at both coordinator positions. Monday night will serve as a true litmus test to see how quickly the new coaches are settling in and how comfortable the players are in the system.
As for the Ravens, this team should be 2-0. Let’s not kid ourselves – 99 times out of 100, they close out that Bills game. It was a crushing and embarrassing collapse, but the only real takeaway is that Baltimore didn’t let it linger. They bounced back in Week 2 with a convincing win over the Browns, showing a strong response.
Offensively, Lamar Jackson has the group humming once again. The bigger question lies on defense. The Ravens rank 19th in EPA per play and 17th in success rate allowed. Where it gets ugly is against the run: they sit 29th in rush success rate and 26th in rush EPA allowed. That’s a dangerous weakness when Sonic and Knuckles are coming to town.
Ravens vs Lions Predictions: Ultimately, I think John Harbaugh’s crew finds a way to win this game. Detroit’s new coordinators still need time to settle in, and that adjustment period could be exposed against one of the NFL’s top teams.
That said, the Lions have a strong enough foundation to compete with anyone. Catching +4.5 is certainly appealing in a matchup projected to be a shootout. The total opened at 49.5 and has climbed into the 53–53.5 range, signaling a back-and-forth scoring affair. With that in mind, there’s definitely room for a backdoor cover late. If pressed to choose a side, I’d lean toward grabbing the points with Detroit.
Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions Picks: My confidence in the betting department circles around the props – as it often does.
I initially looked toward David Montgomery for value, since his rushing prop is set noticeably lower than Gibbs’ and Baltimore’s run defense looks vulnerable. But that would contradict the angle I like even more.
That angle is Jared Goff over 34.5 pass attempts (-115).
In Week 1, Josh Allen fired 46 passes, completing 33 for 394 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 2, Joe Flacco threw 45 times, connecting on 25 for 199 yards with a score and a pick. The point is clear: opposing quarterbacks are not only throwing a ton against this defense, they’re finding enough success to keep doing it.
To be fair, Flacco’s high volume came in large part because the game turned into a blowout, but that could end up being Goff’s path here as well. If the Ravens offense keeps rolling, Detroit may have no choice but to put the ball in his hands and let him throw 40-plus times.
Goff launched 39 passes in Week 1 against the Packers, a game where Detroit trailed and had to throw to stay alive. In Week 2, he attempted only 28 passes, completing 23, in a blowout win over the Bears. Still, that’s a healthy number of attempts considering they won by 30.
It made me curious to look back at Goff’s numbers in losses last season. I expect the Ravens to win this matchup in a shootout, which means Goff will likely be asked to air it out to keep pace with Baltimore’s offense. In Detroit’s three losses a year ago (including the postseason), Goff attempted 40, 55, and 59 passes. That doesn’t guarantee the same outcome tonight, but it’s a strong indicator of how this team approaches games when playing from behind.
At 34.5, this prop undervalues the necessity of Detroit leaning on the passing game. To compete, and possibly steal a win, they’ll need Goff to sling it. Let’s take advantage of this lower number and back the over.
Play: Jared Goff Over 34.5 Pass Attempts (-115)
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