Sunday Night Football gives us a tasty northeast matchup with the Baltimore Ravens (6-2, 4-0 away) and New England Patriots (3-5, 2-2 home) battling it out in an AFC tilt. New England hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2008, so a win Sunday night would keep their hopes alive for a playoff berth.
Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. EST inside Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. The Ravens are a seven-point road favorite, according to oddsmakers.
What to Know – Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore found themselves in a heavyweight battle last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. The Ravens played well, leaving Indy with a 24-10 victory over the top team in the AFC South. Baltimore sits behind the Pittsburgh Steelers for second place in the AFC North.
Lamar Jackson totaled 228 yards of offense and one score last week in the victory over the Colts. Jackson threw for 170 and added 58 on the ground as the team’s leading rusher in the contest.
J.K. Dobbins (12 carries, 30 yards) and Gus Edwards (11 carries, 23 yards, one touchdown) split time in the backfield with Mark Ingram II sidelined with an ankle injury. Ingram is listed as questionable for Sunday night’s showdown but is expected to play at some capacity.
Backup tight end Nick Boyle led the Ravens, who went to the air just 23 times in the game. Boyle snagged four passes for 46 yards. Wide receivers Marquise Brown (3 catches, 38 yards) and Willie Snead IV (4 catches, 37 yards) paced the receiver core for the Ravens.
What to Know – New England Patriots
The Patriots were a quarter away from suffering their fifth consecutive loss, but a 13-point fourth-quarter rally pulled New England in front while also preventing the New York Jets from their first victory of the season. New England sits in third in the AFC East standings and will need to string together victories to maintain a chance at the playoffs.
In the Monday night victory over the Jets, Newton didn’t turn the ball over for the first time since Week 1. If the Patriots want any chance to take down the Ravens, Newton will have to continue to limit the turnovers against one of the league’s top defenses.
Newton threw for 274 yards and added two rushing touchdowns in the victory. Newton completed almost half of his 27 completions to Jakobi Meyers (12 catches, 169 yards). The totals were career highs for Meyers, who has emerged as a favorite target of Cam’s.
Damien Harris (14 carries, 71 yards) and Rex Burkhead (12 carries, 56 yards, one touchdown) continue to split the rushing duties for the Patriots with Sony Michel sidelined due to injury.
The Pick Is In
The Ravens are perfect on the road this season and 2-1-1 against the spread away from home. New England avoided a disaster with the victory over the Jets Monday night but is still a team depleted by injuries. Baltimore’s defense will stifle the Patriots offense, and the Ravens will move the ball easier with their balanced rushing attack.
The Pick: Baltimore -7
