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NFL Predictions: Ravens Super Bowl XLIX Betting Lines & 2014 Preview

Baltimore Ravens – 2015 Super Bowl Chances

The Baltimore Ravens were classic in following up their Super Bowl winning campaign with a frustrating season in which they didn’t even qualify for the playoffs. They gave big money to QB Joe Flacco and saw Ray Lewis retire and things just weren’t the same.

Throw in some injuries and the fact that they could never really get a ground game going and it was surprising that they still finished at .500.

The outlook for this season is good but the division is going to pretty competitive.

Baltimore Ravens

Coach: John Harbaugh
2013 Record: 8-8
Ravens Betting Odds to win AFC North: +260
Ravens Betting Odds to win Super Bowl: 35/1
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Key Addition:

Steve Smith, WR

Key Loss:

Arthur Jones, DE

Ravens Strengths

The receiving corps receives a boost from the addition of Steve Smith. He is not the same kind of receiver as Anquan Boldin but he is a good veteran presence that can be relied upon to make big plays in the biggest moments.

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He and Torrey Smith will form a nice duo and third receiver Marlon Brown is on the come too.

Joe Flacco did not have a good season last year but I still think he is among the top 10 or 12 best QBs in the league. With the addition of Smith and a healthy Dennis Pitta he will have lots of options and should be able to rebound nicely.

I guarantee his interceptions will be half of what they were a year ago.

Even though Ray Lewis is a memory the Ravens are still strong at linebacker. Terrell Suggs and Evis Dumervil bring the heat off the edge to harrass quarterbacks and Daryl Smith is a vintage middle linebacker who sucks up a lot of ballcarriers.

Drafting C.J. Mosley gives them an athletic addition who looks ready to play right away.

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Weaknesses

It is going to be hard for the Ravens to get off to a good start this season. Ray Rice is missing the first two games due to suspension and the team is really banged up, especially on defense in the secondary, probably the strongest part of the club.

They have three division games to start the season and they could be out of contention before the end of the first month if they are not careful.

Ray Rice is missing the opener due to suspension but even without all the offfield garbage his stock is down. He seems to have lost that burst and backup Bernard Pierce is knicked up to start the season.

The Ravens might have a hard time running the ball as their offensive line is pretty average.

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It hasn’t heped the running game that the offensive line has not been all that great of late. The Ravens cut ties with the infamous Michael Oher and brought in some new players to compete.

The bets player on the line is Eugene Monroe and they just signed him to be a big contract.

He is good but not elite at the left tackle position.

Baltimore Ravens NFL 2014 Prediction: 7-9

2014 Ravens NFL Schedule:

  • 1. September 7 1:00PM ET Cincinnati Bengals
  • 2. September 11 8:25PM ET Pittsburgh Steelers
  • 3. September 21 1:00PM ET @ Cleveland Browns
  • 4. September 28 1:00PM ET Carolina Panthers
  • 5. October 5 1:00PM ET @ Indianapolis Colts
  • 6. October 12 1:00PM ET @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
  • 7. October 19 1:00PM ET Atlanta Falcons
  • 8. October 26 1:00PM ET @ Cincinnati Bengals
  • 9. November 2 8:30PM ET @ Pittsburgh Steelers
  • 10. November 9 1:00PM ET Tennessee Titans
  • 11. Bye Week
  • 12. November 24 8:30PM ET @ New Orleans Saints
  • 13. November 30 1:00PM ET San Diego Chargers
  • 14. December 7 1:00PM ET @ Miami Dolphins
  • 15. December 14 1:00PM ET Jacksonville Jaguars
  • 16. December 21 1:00PM ET @ Houston Texans
  • 17. December 28 1:00PM ET Cleveland Browns 

With injuries and the suspenstion to Rice starting with two division games is going to be really challenging. Even though they are at home I would fade Baltimore against both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

This is definitely one of those teams you do not want to love tracks of. Their final month is full of winnable games and if they steal one or two along the way they will be in the hunt for a playoff berth.

This is not a Super Bowl contending team though. There is no area where they particularly stand out.

The NFL betting season is here at Cappers Picks. NFL Football handicappers have been hard at work putting out the team by team Football Predictions and NFL Season Previews for those of us who can’t wait.

Bet on the Super Bowl XLIX winner, plus 2014/15 Conference and Divisional winners today. What are you waiting for use our insider knowledge today to gamble on all the NFL Football Futures in our top online sportsbooks today.

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By The Wiesguy

The Wiesguy is a newcomer to the handicapping scene. Hailing from Toronto, Canada he is always sweet on the underdogs and you can often find his thoughts, musings and picks at moneydogs.blogspot.com.