Bengals vs. Ravens Free Pick
BALTIMORE, MD (The Spread) – AFC North rivals clash in Baltimore today when the Ravens host the Bengals at 1:00PM ET. Will the Ravens cover as a small favorite?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Ravens are a pick’em versus the Bengals, while the total is currently sitting at 42.5 points. Baltimore opened as 2.5-point home favorites before the line was bet down, while the total opened at 43.5 before it was bet down.
The Bengals hired Hue Jackson to install a more balanced offense led by quarterback Andy Dalton, who received a new contract this off-season. Gio Bernard and rookie Jeremy Hill will be counted on to take some pressure off Dalton, who has led Cincinnati to three straight playoff appearances, albeit without a win. The defense, which lost defensive end Michael Johnson (FA/Tampa Bay) and coordinator Mike Zimmer (head coach/Minnesota), should still be one of the better units in the AFC North.
Two years after winning the Super Bowl, the Ravens look to rebound from a lackluster 2013 season that saw the play of Joe Flacco dip dramatically. This offseason the Ravens added veteran free agent Steve Smith and drafted middle linebacker C.J. Mosley, who will start from Day 1. If Flacco can play anywhere close to the level he played in the 2012 postseason, then the Ravens will be in contention for not only a playoff berth, but also the AFC North crown.
NFL FREE PICK: Take Baltimore. According to latest NFL trends, the favorite is 5-0-1 against the spread in the last six games between these two teams and 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings overall. The Bengals are also just 5-11-1 against the number in their last 17 games in Baltimore, 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine road games, and 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games in Week 1. On the other side, the Ravens are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games in Week 1.
2014 NFL WEEK 1 FREE PICK: BALTIMORE RAVENS PICK’EM
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