The Ravens and Cowboys both need a win in this high-profile matchup. Here is how to bet on the game at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Baltimore Ravens (-1) vs. Dallas Cowboys o/u 48
Ravens Team Breakdown
The Ravens are in a bit of a desperate situation as they sit at 0-2 heading into this game. They have been unlucky to this point. They were a toe away from having a 2-point conversion attempt to beat the Chiefs, and they beat the Raiders in every metric except the final score last week. Despite that, they are still 0-2 and need a win on the road against the Cowboys.
The Ravens’ offense has been solid through two games and Lamar Jackson is looking like his MVP self. The Ravens also run the ball very effectively, ranking fourth in the NFL in rushing success rate.
They have had some issues more on the defensive side. Last week, their secondary let Gardner Minshew take whatever he wanted, including on the two most important drives of the game. The Ravens’ defense needs to make some adjustments on the defensive side of the ball if they don’t want to get beaten by the Cowboys’ passing attack as well.
Cowboys Team Breakdown
The Cowboys have had two polar opposite performances so far this season. They dominated the Browns in Week 1 on the road and got dominated by the Saints in Week 2 at home. That makes them a hard team to read, but they have clear strengths and flaws. Their pass rush is good enough to cause major problems on a beat-up offensive line but not quite good enough to beat a great offensive line. Through the first two weeks, the Ravens are 4th in the league in pass block win rate, so they might have issues getting after Lamar Jackson.
On offense, the Cowboys want to throw the football. Their passing play percentage is 63.5%, the seventh-highest mark in the league this season. They don’t have much explosiveness at running back, and they would struggle to run against the Ravens regardless, so it should be a very pass-heavy approach. The Cowboys need a true WR2 to emerge because teams can focus on CeeDee Lamb and force someone else to beat them. Last week, Brandin Cooks had just two catches for 19 yards, so the Cowboys will look to get way more production out of him going forward.
Pick and Prediction
The Ravens’ offense is fourth in the NFL in rushing success rate, and the Cowboys’ defense is 30th in the NFL in rushing success rate allowed. The Ravens should have a lot of success running the ball, especially with Lamar Jackson on broken plays. The Cowboys also showed they are liable to get beaten on explosive plays last week against the Saints, which is a specialty of the Ravens.
Defensively, the Ravens are the best in the NFL in rushing success rate allowed. The Cowboys have also struggled to run the ball in general. The Ravens can drop back and try to take away what the Cowboys want to do through the air. Dak Prescott hasn’t looked very sharp so far this season so he might not be able to exploit the holes in the Ravens’ secondary. Prescott is 25th in the NFL in adjusted EPA/play, between Daniel Jones and Will Levis for perspective.
The Ravens are in a desperate spot and should come with a really focused effort against the Cowboys. The Ravens will be able to run the ball, but they won’t allow the Cowboys to run at all. If the game is close at the end, Lamar Jackson is the quarterback you want with the ball in his hands over Dak Prescott so the Ravens should win.
Best Bet: Ravens -1
Place your NFL bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is blakekrass) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and cannot access any non-public information.
