- Baltimore (13-4) is a 9.5-point home favorite over the Texans (11-7) in the AFC Divisional Round
- Lamar Jackson has led the Ravens to at least 30 points in eight of their last 11 games
- Saturday NFL playoff game kicks off from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD at 4:30 pm ET
C.J. Stroud’s virtuoso performance against Cleveland on Wild Card Weekend led the Texans to their first playoff victory since 2019. Houston will now travel to Baltimore to face one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Lamar Jackson’s Ravens won six of their past seven games to secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
Before we check the odds on this Divisional Round playoff matchup and make our picks, here’s where you can find the best tips for betting on the 2024 NFL playoffs and the top betting sites for NFL football.
Ravens vs Texans
Superstar QBs face off
C.J. Stroud passed for 274 yards and three touchdowns with a near-perfect 157.2 passer rating in a 45-14 blowout of the Browns on Saturday. The Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite already looks like one of the league’s top quarterbacks, throwing for 4,382 yards with 26 TDs and 5 INTs in 16 games this season, including the playoffs.
Lamar Jackson is a lock for NFL MVP after leading the Ravens to the best record in all of football. Jackson passed for 3,678 yards with 24 TDs and 7 INTs in 2023, with an additional 821 yards and 5 scores on the ground. The 27-year-old will be suiting up in first postseason contest since 2020.
It’s time to start C.J. Stroud’s “elite” conversation, writes @GManzano24 https://t.co/WmQgfYY5SN
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 16, 2024
Last meeting was low scoring
Both quarterbacks underwhelmed in Baltimore’s 25-9 victory over Houston in the season opener. Jackson threw for 169 yards and a pick with no touchdowns while Stroud finished with 242 passing yards with no TDs or INTs.
Since returning from a concussion in week 17, Stroud has led the Texans to three-straight wins, passing for 751 yards, 6 TDs and no INTs. But, Mike MacDonald’s defense could cause the rookie problems. The Ravens ranked No. 1 in defensive DVOA (-23.3%) this year, limiting opponents to 191.9 passing yards and a league-best 16.5 points per game.
Baltimore vs Houston
Baltimore is a 9.5-point home favorite in M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday with the over-under set at 45 points. Todd Monken’s Ravens offense caught fire down the stretch, scoring at least 30 points in eight of its final 11 games.
However, DeMeco Ryans’ defense shutdown Cleveland in the Wild Card round, running two Joe Flacco pick-sixes into the Browns’ endzone. Houston finished top-ten in points allowed (20.4) in 2023 while permitting only 94.4 rushing yards per week (94.4).
C.J. Stroud vs. Lamar Jackson 👀
The @HoustonTexans will face the @Ravens in Baltimore in the AFC Divisional Round on Saturday 🙌 pic.twitter.com/gZ8l2f1lLT
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 16, 2024
Rusty Ravens?
During Lamar Jackson’s 2019 MVP campaign, John Harbaugh decided to sit his star quarterback and six other starters in the regular-season finale. Following their playoff bye week, Baltimore then suffered an ugly 28-12 upset loss to the Titans in the divisional round.
Will history repeat itself this year? Not necessarily. Baltimore is 13-3 when coming off an extra week of preparation under Harbaugh.
Best Bet
C.J. Stroud is a bonafide superstar. But, while we like the Texans to cover (+9.5), we’ll take the Ravens (-425) to move on to the AFC Championship Game with the UNDER 45 points.
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