Monday Night Football Preview & Prediction: Ravens at Buccaneers
Week 7 Monday Night Football is here and we're getting two contests again. With two games, there are plenty of great matchups and opportunities for bettors to find real value. The first game to kickoff pits the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's a heavyweight battle between two 4-2 teams that are looking to make a lot of noise this season. Let's take a deeper look at the matchup.
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Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
The Ravens are just a few plays away from potentially being 6-0 on the season. Their offense has been elite. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have established a league-best running game per DVOA and that has helped open up a pass game that has been equally impressive. They've scored at least 28 points in each game during this four-game win streak. However, a closer look at the defenses they did it against shows that three of the four are in the bottom half of the league in DVOA and the best of the bunch, Buffalo is ranked 12th.
Tampa has put together a surprisingly stout defense given the injuries they've played with all year. They held the Lions to 16 points, the Commanders to 20 and the Eagles to 16 points. Their unit ranks 11th in DVOA and with DL Vita Vea in the middle, they can be one of the most effective run-stoppers in the league. If the Ravens can't get the run game going it could hinder their ability to pass too.
The biggest matchup here will be the Tampa offense against the Baltimore defense. With the loss of former DC Mike MacDonald to Seattle, Baltimore has gone from an elite defensive unit to an average one that is susceptible to the pass. That's good news for Baker Mayfield and company. Mayfield leads the league in passing TDs with his bevy of strong pass catchers. This team should be able to find holes in the Ravens' secondary and keep this one close enough at home to cover.
Pick: Buccaneers +4 (-115)