Week 8 NFL Lines: Broncos vs. Ravens

Sunday NFL Betting – Broncos Should Stay Perfect In Baltimore

The Denver Broncos are a perfect 6-0 on the year and are one of only three remaining undefeated teams in the NFL. They’ll get another tough test this week as they head to Baltimore to face a Ravens team that also was once perfect this season.

The Ravens started the year with three straight wins, were atop the NFC North and were considered to be one of the best teams in the league. But after three straight losses with their defense letting them down time and time again, a lot of people are wondering how good this Ravens unit really is.

Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: M&T Bank Stadium
Broncos vs. Ravens Sunday Football Lines
MoneyLine: Broncos +150 / Ravens -170
Spread: Ravens -3
Over/Under: 41.5

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To be fair, their three losses have been photo finishes. Their losses in New England, Minnesota and their home loss to Cincinnati all could have been victories had one or two plays gone the other way.

Nonetheless, the Ravens are off a bye and desperate for a win but sometimes desperation causes mistakes. The Broncos should be able to force some.

Broncos offense vs Ravens defense

Where has that vaunted Ravens defense gone? The Ravens might want to look across the sidelines to find out. The Ravens lost offensive coordinator Rex Ryan to a head coaching position in New York this offseason and their defense has gone soft since. On the other sidelines is another former defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan, who has been doing an outstanding job with the Broncos defense.

The Broncos are just a smart team. Quarterback Kyle Orton doesn’t make many mistakes, the offensive line protects him and he gets the ball to the playmakers. Their offense will take what the opposing defense will give them.
In the first half, it might not be much as the Ravens will be fired up. But if the Broncos keep chipping away as they did against New England and against San Diego, and keep winning the battle of field position, they’ll eventually put points on the board.

Ravens offense vs Broncos defense

As mentioned, Mike Nolan now coordinates the Broncos defense so they should see a lot of the hybrid 4-3 and 3-4 looks they give their opponents.

The Ravens will have to get Ray Rice involved early and often as he is their best offensive playmaker. He leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage, averaging 127.7 per game.
The Ravens offense hasn’t been an issue as they have the fifth-highest scoring unit in the NFL. While the parts make not look flashy – particularly at wide receiver – they still manage to move the ball up and down the field and make big plays.

Typically, they have more success when they run the ball well and that might be tough against the league’s third-best run defense.

Outlook & Pick
The Broncos are 15-5 coming off a bye and we have to start giving Josh McDaniels credit. His game plans have been well-tailored to each opponent and given two weeks to prepare, he should have a good plan against a desperate Ravens squad.

If the Ravens want to win, they’ll have to get ahead, play from ahead and force the Broncos to alter their strategy. But the Broncos have a good defense and they know what is coming. If they can weather the storm over the first two quarters, they should be able to win this game outright.

Pick: Broncos +3.5

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Dave Golokhov has written for BETUS Sportsbook, Sportsfanmagazine.com, FOX, Askmen.com, Sports-central.org, and the FOXSports.com Funhouse.