The NFL Preseason is into its final week, meaning it’s time for one last tune-up before the real action kicks off in September. The schedule got started on Thursday, and Friday brings a loaded slate of nine games across the evening. Kicking things off early at 6 p.m. are the Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens, who will battle at M&T Bank Stadium.
Here’s a prediction and pick for Commanders vs. Ravens in the NFL Preseason on Friday, courtesy of odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Commanders vs. Ravens preview
The preseason really doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of things, so it shouldn’t be used as a measuring stick for a team’s future performance. However, for the clubs themselves, there are reasons that these games do matter – especially with the final week of games serving as a final opportunity to evaluate talent, potentially deciding position battles and depth moves.
With the regular season approaching and a week of joint practices under their belts, it’s unlikely that the starters see much action in this matchup for either side. That may be a bigger issue for the Commanders than the Ravens – even though they’re 1-1 in the preseason, much of the chatter out of local media implied that this past week was one of the worst for Washington’s offense in recent memory. The first preseason game saw the Commanders down the Miami Dolphins 20-7, but that’s expected given how poor the opposing team’s roster looked from top to bottom. Last week saw a 17-13 loss to the Detroit Lions in a matchup where bright spots were few and far between.
The players who should see time on offense for Washington are led by halfback Kaytron Allen, a sixth-round pick who’s tallied 115 yards and a score on the ground over this two contests, as well as third-round pick Antonio Williams, who has just four receptions but 57 yards this preseason. Both are competing for RB3/WR3 roles with other names like Jerome Ford, Luke McCaffrey and Van Jefferson. At quarterback for the Commanders will be some combination of rookies Sam Harman and Athan Kaliakmanis – both looked impressive in the opener but were less inspiring in the second matchup.
The Ravens haven’t played many starters this preseason, but the vibes are much better for Baltimore. The team is 2-0 with a 24-7 drubbing of the Philadelphia Eagles and a 13-3 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The offense was explosive in the first with 440 total yards, coming up shorter in the latter with just 242 yards as the unit was outgained on the day. However, the goal here has been determining some final position battles for starting center and deeper spots on the wide receiver chart, rather than getting reps for the first team.
It would be a disservice to not mention the standout of both Ravens victories – UDFA quarterback Joe Fagnano. The UConn product has gone 37-for-48 with 347 yards, two touchdowns and one interception through his two appearances, seemingly showing a great degree of comfort in his first work at the pro level. Tyler Huntley may still start tonight, but Fagnano should get to lead the offense for most of the evening. The names at wideout should prove interesting as third-round camp star Ja’Kobi Lane works to fend off fellow rookie Elijah Sarratt and Devontez Walker for a key role. Rookie tight end Matthew Hibner is also a name to keep an eye on after catching five balls for 61 yards in the opener.
Commanders vs. Ravens prediction, pick
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Ravens as a 2.5-point home favorite in this matchup with -141 odds to win on the Moneyline. The Commanders are a +117 road underdog with the game total set at a paltry 33.5 combined points.
To be clear, betting on NFL Preseason can prove very tricky. Established names don’t see much action, especially in the earlier weeks, and there’s much more variance in these games due to the roster shuffling and how deep of a player pool coaches draw from. Especially in the context of final roster cuts approaching in the coming days, that may ring even more true.
With that said, I still am much more bullish on Baltimore in this battle of the backups. First and foremost, the implementation of new head coach Jesse Minter’s desired schemes on both sides of the ball seems to be going much more smoothly than the general situation in Washington. The Ravens’ offense has looked productive, which is much more than one can say for a Commanders team that was just said to have had its worst offensive week at practice in years. The Ravens’ defense has really stood out, allowing just 10 points across two games as well – that’s what we want to target here.
Beyond that Fagnano has shown promise as a depth piece with his steady play under center, which is more than you can say for the Commanders’ quarterback situation tonight. Looking at the areas that provide stability, it’s easy to see why Baltimore should be a much heavier favorite, in my opinion. I like a cover here.
