The Baltimore Ravens were a popular preseason bet to win Super Bowl LX, but things haven’t gone according to plan after the team stumbled to a 1-5 start (also 1-5 against the spread) with a miserable 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6.
Baltimore’s odds have fallen to +2500 to win the Super Bowl following its fourth straight loss after opening at around +700 at major online sportsbooks to claim the NFL’s heralded Lombardi Trophy.
Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs
BetMGM, a popular online sportsbook available in Ontario and in many U.S. jurisdictions, is reporting that as of Tuesday, 8.2% of tickets and 9.8% of the handle at the sportsbook are on the Ravens to win Super Bowl LX. Only the Philadelphia Eagles (10.4%), Detroit Lions (11.4%), and Buffalo Bills (13.2%) have higher handle percentages than the Ravens.
Additionally, the Ravens have moved to +1200 after opening up at +350 to win the AFC Championship as co-favourites with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills opened with slightly longer odds (+375) to claim the AFC title.
Injuries are partially to blame
Usually when a projected top NFL team underperforms, injuries are to blame. Well, that’s partially the case for the Ravens, who have been without quarterback Lamar Jackson for the the last two games due to a hamstring injury. Baltimore has been outscored 61-13 over the last two weeks without its star quarterback. Jackson is on the mend, though, and expects to return following Baltimore’s Week 7 bye week for a clash with the Chicago Bears.
The team has also suffered injuries to critical starters, such as Roquan Smith and left tackle Ronnie Stanley, which didn’t help on both sides of the ball.
Matador Defence
The Ravens have allowed the highest points per game average in the NFL (32.3) and rank near the bottom of the league in total yards surrendered (380.8, 29th). Their inability to stop the run is particularly concerning, with the squad allowing an average of 134.3 on the ground per game (26th in the NFL). The team also owns the worst turnover ratio (-1.2 per game) in the league.
Despite offseason efforts to reinforce the secondary, injuries and lack of continuity among new starters have contributed to breakdowns in pass coverage and run support.
Tough early schedule
Despite the miserable start to the season, Baltimore’s quest for a Super Bowl title is still far from over. The Ravens had an incredibly difficult early schedule, with games against other top teams such as the Bills, Lions, Chiefs, Houston Texans, and Rams over the first six weeks. Their schedule eases down the stretch, though, with a pair of games scheduled against the Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals, as well as contests against the lowly New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and Miami Dolphins.
Oddsmakers are still giving the Ravens around a +110 shot of making the playoffs, as they currently trail the Denver Broncos by three games for the final AFC Wild Card spot. NFL.com is listing the Ravens’ playoff probability at 36% entering Week 7.