Week 14 of the NFL schedule concludes with the Baltimore Ravens (7-5, 4-2 away) and Cleveland Browns (9-3, 5-1 home) battling on Monday Night Football. The two AFC North teams met to open the season, with the Ravens thumping the Browns 38-6 in Baltimore. Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. EST at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH. Baltimore is a 3-point favorite on the road, according to oddsmakers.
What to Know – Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore dropped three-straight games by a combined 17 points before bouncing back last week with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The Ravens sit in third place in the AFC North standings behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and Browns but still a chance at a playoff birth.
Lamar Jackson threw for 107 yards and rushed for 94 more while accounting for three touchdowns. Jackson has thrown for 2,055 yards and rushed for 669 over 11 games this season with 17 touchdown passes and four rushing scores.
The Ravens rushed for nearly 300 yards behind the rushing attack of Gus Edwards (seven carries, 101 yards), Jackson, and rookie J.K. Dobbins (11 carries, 71 yards, one touchdown). Baltimore leads the league rushing for 169.0 yards per game.
Marquise Brown hauled in five passes for 39 yards and a touchdown, and Miles Boykin caught one pass for a 38-yard score. The Ravens 169.3 yards per game through the air is the worst in the NFL.
What to Know – Cleveland Browns
Cleveland is much improved since that Week 1 loss to the Ravens and is riding a four-game winning streak into Monday night’s matchup. The Browns are nearly a lock to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and a win against the Ravens would punch their ticket.
The Browns built up a 38-7 first-half lead last Sunday against the Tennessee Titans behind four touchdown throws by Baker Mayfield. Mayfield finished the game, completing 25-of-33 passes for a season-high 334 yards in the victory.
Nick Chubb rushed for 80 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. Kareem Hunt added 33 yards on 14 carries, splitting time out of the backfield with Chubb. Both running backs have rushed for over 700 yards this season, with Chubb averaging an eye-popping 6.0 yards per carry.
Mayfield spread the ball around to ten different pass catchers, with Rashard Higgins leading the bunch securing six of his nine targets for 95 yards and a touchdown. Donovan Peoples-Jones caught a 75-yard touchdown reception, and Jarvis Landry chipped in a team-high eight receptions for 62 yards and a score.
The Pick is In
This should be a fantastic game pitting two teams very familiar with each other. Expect to see both teams rely on the rushing attack with winds blowing around 20 mph at kickoff. Cleveland has a better record, but the Ravens are the better team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Expect a close game with Baltimore winning in the 4-7 point range.
The Pick: Baltimore -3
