The Monday Night Football matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders closes the Week 1 NFL betting slate. Positioned as a top contender in the AFC the Ravens are already facing adversity before taking the first snap of the season. The team lost several players to season-ending injuries over the past few days with the running back spot being hit the hardest. Projected starter J.K. Dobbins along with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill are done leaving the feared run game a mess. Former MVP Lamar Jackson is healthy leaving the visitors as a road favorite, but the line has moved in favor of the Raiders.
This matchup in Week 1 of the regular season will take place on Monday, September 13, 2021, at 8:15 p.m. ET at Allegiant Stadium and will be televised on ESPN.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Baltimore Ravens -4
Las Vegas Raiders +4
Over/Under 50
Odds Analysis
The early line had the Ravens positioned as a 5.5-point favorite with that number leveling off at Baltimore -4.5 with the home team getting some support. News of the most recent injuries had Vegas backers back at the betting window forcing the line down another half point. With the Raiders already having the public behind them the spread is likely to come down more before kickoff. We haven’t seen movement on the opening total of 50 though that number will likely decrease as injuries to the Ravens’ offense mount.
Matchup to Watch
An area that was a strength for the Ravens when training camp opened is now a huge concern. Losing one running back is bad enough, but three season-ending injuries at the position have John Harbaugh and his staff concerned. After a solid rookie campaign Dobbins was expected to take a step up in his performance. His injury a few weeks ago was a blow. At least the Ravens had a few capable runners as backups. That is until now. Edwards and Justice Hill were both lost for the year in the span of a week leaving Ty’Son Williams as the projected starter on Monday night.
Running the football has been a huge part of the Ravens offense the last few years. They led the league in rushing the last two seasons and were dominant up front. Baltimore signed veterans Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman, but they aren’t expected to be in the lineup leaving an untested Williams with no career carries as the lead back. The Raiders have to stop the run and contain Jackson, and it looks like their job got a little easier.
Key Injuries
The injury bug hasn’t been confined to running backs. The Ravens also lost L.J. Fort to a knee injury, hurting their depth at linebacker and on special teams. And the same day Edwards went down so did cornerback Marcus Peters. With a league-best 31 interceptions since the 2015 season, Peters has been a mainstay on one of the NFL’s best defensive units. The Ravens are dealing with a multitude of problems and they haven’t even played a meaningful game. There is time to cover for those losses, but with them coming so close to the start of the season it’s hard to imagine the club not being affected.
Player to Watch
It’s been a tumultuous career for Derek Carr, who’s been rumored on the trading block because of inconsistent play to recently being called an “elite” quarterback by an ESPN pundit. He’s not that bad and he’s also not that good, but the Raiders will go as far as he takes them. The one thing about Carr is he’s been steady with his group of receivers constantly changing. There are some talented pass-catchers on the roster, but the group is largely inexperienced. It’s Carr’s job to make them better and if he succeeds, the Raiders passing game should reach a new level.
Free ATS Pick
I can see a lot of action on the home team leading up to this game. The Ravens had a season’s worth of injuries to impactful players just in the past few weeks. This is nothing new for Harbaugh, though, and I expect the Ravens to again be a contender in the AFC with Jackson running the show. But LJ can’t win games throwing the ball and the run game will have to sort itself out leaving me backing the home team and the points.
NFL Pick: Raiders 23, Ravens 21
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