Baltimore Ravens (8-2 SU, 5-5 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Rams (6-4 SU, 7-3 ATS)
Week 12 NFL
Date/Time: Monday Night Football, November 25, 2019 at 8:15PM EST
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
TV: ESPN
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: BAL -3.5/LAR +3.5
Over/Under Total: 46.5
The Baltimore Ravens take on the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football live from the Coliseum. This is an attractive matchup, with the resurgent Ravens thriving at 8-2 with leading MVP candidate Lamar Jackson leading the way at quarterback. On Sunday, it was another exhibition of firepower as they pounded the Texans, 41-7. They are on a massively-scary run and look to add another notch to their belt in this cross-conference matchup. The Rams, meanwhile, are looking to go on a run in their last six games after a troublesome 6-4 start for the leading preseason NFC contenders. With a 17-7 win over the Bears on Sunday night, they have won three out of four, yet are still looking for that transcendent performance that tells the world they are back in full-force.
It's still hard to dispute the Ravens' dominance, which very well might make them the top contender in all the AFC heading into week 12. Since starting the season 2-2, they have won 6 in a row and some of the results are eyebrow-raising, with the last month of success including a two-touchdown win over the Seahawks, a 17-point win over the Patriots, a blowout of Cincy, and last week's demolition of another winning team in the Texans. Lamar Jackson is on fire and the defense is showing its fangs too. The ceiling is high with this bunch and right now, they're really in a groove. With four straight covers, they are also delivering at the betting windows.
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Lamar Jackson is having one of those special seasons where he has stats good enough for two guys, putting together good numbers as a thrower and runner. With over 66% completions and a TD-to-INT ratio of 19/5, he is vastly improved as a passer, while also running for 788 yards. He gets a lot of help in the ground-attack with Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards being valuable contributors. It's a lot to stop. Through the air. Jackson works with a nice cast—big targets like tight ends Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle, along with speedster Marquise Brown at wide receiver. And having a strong line never hurts and the Ravens have just that.
It can really give a defense a boost when a ground-dominant offense is having its way and the Ravens “D” had benefitted from that. They have not given up more than 20 points in five games and have only allowed a combined total of 20 over the past two weeks. It's a very deep unit. The secondary is playing better and Earl Thomas, Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr, and Chuck Clark have been very active. They are good at repelling the opposing run, with Michael Pierce and Brandon Williams up-front and Patrick Owuasor, Matthew Judon, and Josh Bynes in the middle. While not quite the shutdown unit of late last season, they are getting better.
It's been a rough go for the Rams this season thus far, even if they are at 6-4 and still squarely in the running for a playoff spot. But to be third in the NFC West and never approaching the heights they soared to last season is a hard pill to swallow for this bunch. While they are getting better play at times on the defensive side of the ball lately, the high-octane offense of last season has only sporadically surfaced in 2019. It's a role reversal of sorts, with the Ravens going from a defense-heavy team to an offense that is prolific, while we now see the Rams grinding out wins as they did on Sunday night. Still, there is a certain resourcefulness we are seeing out of this group this season, still able to forge a winning team despite the offense being a shadow of what it was in 2018.
A lot of things have contributed to make the Rams' offense something less than what it was last season, Sure, there is the occasional spurt, as they have put up points on occasion. But injuries, the depreciated run-game, a so-so line, some regression from Jared Goff have left them groping for what they once so readily had. One positive development recently is the return of Todd Gurley to the limelight. On Sunday, both of their scores came on the ground, with Gurley and Malcolm Brown finding the end zone. With Brandin Cooks still healing up from a concussion and Robert Woods a surprise scratch on Sunday, their aerial corps are a bit depreciated, with Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds getting most of the work in the win against Chicago.
Maybe the defense can help pick up the slack. The same unit that was giving up 55 to Tampa earlier in the year has now allowed a combined 44 points in their last four games. Granted, thriving against the spiraling Bears' offense and doing so against Baltimore are two vastly different things. But there are some real hitters on this side of the ball. It's not a coincidence that this surge came with the arrival of Jalen Ramsey, who has added a lot to the secondary. Aaron Donald is rounding into peak form and had two sacks on Sunday. Corner Troy Hill has a pick and a sack on Sunday, as we see different guys rising to the occasion. Whereas this side of the ball was once seen as a liability, it could actually be what ends up saving their season.
This is big for both teams. For the Ravens, it's their chance to showcase their wares in a big spotlight game and reaffirm their contender status. For the Rams, they can announce that they are still in the mix and that their defense is for real if they can stem the seemingly-unstoppable Ravens' ride. I don't like to be a contrarian for the sake of it, but something tells me the Rams might have some of the right answers on MNF. I'll take the Rams.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Los Angeles Rams plus 3.5 points. Did you know… that you could be wagering on the Ravens vs. Rams game at discounted odds? There's a better than good chance that you're laying -110 odds (or more) with your book. Stop overpaying TODAY by making the switch to BetAnySports Sportsbook! You will be so glad that you did!
