A lot of people who are looking at the NFL odds and the NFL standings this week might be surprised to see the Baltimore Ravens at 3-2. The Ravens started the season 3-0 and looked like they might be the best team in the league at that point. But since that time, the Ravens have had a tough time over the last couple of weeks and now find themselves on a two-game losing streak.
People making their NFL picks sided with the Ravens a couple of weeks ago when they headed to New England but the Ravens came up just short. Then the Ravens were surprisingly a nine-point favorite at home to the Cincinnati Bengals last week and they lost the game outright.
There are some real concerns in Baltimore right now because the team has shifted. They used to be a defensive-minded team with one of the league’s best stopping unit but since defensive coordinator Rex Ryan left to take over the New York Jets, the Ravens have been struggling on defense. Minus a good performance against the hapless Cleveland Browns, the Ravens are allowing 23.5 points per game this season, which is a stark contrast to the team that was shutting down opponents last year.
The Ravens are in tough this week as they head to face the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. If they lose, they’ll be back to .500, which would be a very discouraging start for a team that was 3-0.
Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings
Sportsbook Odds: Vikings -3
The Minnesota Vikings are one of the hottest team in the NFL right now and they welcome one of the coldest. The Vikings might have an easier time of winning Sunday’s contest than most people think, even though it should be a battle of two of the top teams in the league.
The Vikings defense doesn’t give up much on the ground, which is going to be a problem for Baltimore. The Ravens find most of their offensive success when they can run the ball with Ray Rice and Willis McGahee but, as evidenced by the Bengals last week, if those two are contained, the Ravens have a tough time putting up points.
Minnesota is going to force the Ravens to win through the air, which won’t work. On top of that, the Vikings will stay hot on offense and put up enough points to get the win and cover.
Sports Picks: Vikings -3
