The ninth week of the NFL season wraps up on Monday night with the New Orleans Saints (3-5, 2-3 home) hosting the Baltimore Ravens (5-3, 3-1 away) in an inter-division clash. Baltimore is 5-2 against the Saints all time, winning 24-23 the last time they met in 2018.
Monday’s kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. EST inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Baltimore is a 1.5-point road favorite, and the over/under total is 46.5 points.
What to Know – Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore heads to the Big Easy winning its last two contests and three of its last four. The Ravens sit atop the AFC North standings and, with a win, will maintain a one-game lead over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Lamar Jackson remains the focal point of the Ravens’ offense, leading the team in passing and rushing yards. Jackson has thrown 15 touchdowns and ran for another two, combining for 2,188 total yards of offense.
The Ravens have had a revolving door at the running back position due to a rash of injuries this year. Kenyan Drake is expected to get the start with J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards unavailable. Drake is second on the team with 251 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Leading pass-catcher Mark Andrews will sit Monday night out with a knee and shoulder injury. Andrews joins wide receiver Rashod Bateman on the injured list. Look for wide receiver Devin Duuvernay and backup tight end Isaiah Likely to see more targets with those starters out.
What to Know – New Orleans Saints
The Saints snapped a two-game skid with a 24-0 shutout victory over the Las Vegas Raiders last week. New Orleans can stay in a three-way tie atop the NFC South standings with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The season started with Jameis Winston under center, but veteran quarterback Andy Dalton has taken over the lead role. Dalton has done well enough to keep the job, throwing nine TDs and completing 65.2% of his passes.
After a slow start to the season, running back Alvin Kamara has found his groove again, coming off a three-touchdown effort in last week’s victory over Las Vegas.
It was the first time this season that the all-purpose back had found the endzone. Kamara has rushed for 413 yards in 2022 and is second on the team in receiving with 287 yards.
Rookie wide receiver Chris Olave has stepped up as the team’s leading pass-catcher with numerous Saints wideouts out injured.
The first-round pick has hauled in 37 of 63 targets for 547 yards and a pair of scores. Jarvis Landry is listed as questionable for Monday’s tilt and would be a huge boost to the New Orleans offense.
The Pick is In
The two teams are banged up and missing key pieces of the offense, but on paper, the Ravens are in a bit better shape. Baltimore gets it done in Louisiana behind the arm and legs of Jackson, while the defense contains Kamara and company.
The Pick: Baltimore Ravens ML
