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Broncos vs. Ravens in Week 9: Game preview, prediction, best bet and odds

See how oddsmakers are handicapping this matchup of playoff-hopeful teams in Baltimore

Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian (29) celebrates his interception in the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Empower Field at Mile High.
USATSI
WHODenver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens
WHENSunday, November 3, 2024 at 1 p.m. EST
WHEREM&T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland
HOWCBS

The Ravens’ five-game winning streak came to a screeching halt in Cleveland in Week 8. Despite another solid performance from Lamar Jackson and nearly 400 yards of total offense, the underdog Browns managed to get a last-minute lead-changing touchdown. A 29-24 Cleveland win underscored Baltimore’s continuing issues with its 32nd-ranked pass defense, as Jameis Winston – making his first start of 2024 – threw for 334 yards and three TD passes. The Ravens’ last defeat prior to last Sunday was a 26-23 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2. They rebounded from the setback to beat quality opponents such as Buffalo, Washington, and Tampa Bay.

The loss to the Browns dropped Baltimore to 5-3, which is also the record of its opponent on Sunday. Denver recovered from an early deficit to score 21 second-quarter points and ease past the visiting Carolina Panthers, 28-14. Like the Ravens, the Broncos began 0-2 and have since won five of six. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has limited mistakes and the defense ranks near the top of the NFL in every major category. Sean Payton’s club enters what is shaping up to be the hardest part of its schedule – with Baltimore, Kansas City and Atlanta upcoming.

Here are some of the most recent odds that can be found at some of the top online sportsbooks.

MarketFanDuelDraftKingsBetMGM
Broncos spread+9.5 (-115)+9 (-110)+9 (-110)
Ravens spread-9.5 (-105)-9 (110)-9 (-110)
Broncos moneyline+350+330+350
Ravens moneyline-450-425-450
OverOver 46.5 (-110)Over 45.5 (-112)Over 46.5 (-110)
UnderUnder 46.5 (-110)Under 45.5 (-108)Under 46.5 (-110)
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Why bet on the Broncos

Denver’s defense is a significant reason why it’s looking like a playoff-caliber team. The Broncos are the NFL’s third-best in scoring defense at 15 points allowed per game, No. 3 in total defense at 282.6 yards per contest, and second-best in sacks with 30. 

Nobody in the league yields fewer yards per play and only one team is harder to score upon in the red zone, with opponents scoring touchdowns only 41.2% of the time inside the 20-yard-line. 

But the Broncos may also find an advantage going up against the Baltimore pass defense. Nix has 1,530 passing yards and eight touchdowns. Neither of those marks are high on the leaderboard. But after throwing four interceptions over his first two games, he’s had just one since. 

On Sunday against Carolina, Nix had his first three-touchdown performance with a 75.7% completion rate. He targeted Courtland Sutton 11 times, connecting with him on eight occasions for 100 yards. During the month of October, Nix has hit on 67% of his passes for 870 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 149 yards and two scores. 

Baltimore has the capability of allowing Nix to improve on those numbers, as it has given up the most passing yards along with 17 TDs. The first-year QB is just 1-for-11 passing when he’s pressured, but the Ravens rank 27th in pressure rate and have a 5.2% quarterback hurry percentage – which is among the 10 worst in the NFL. 

Why bet on the Ravens

Baltimore’s offense has shown the capability of overcoming whatever deficiencies are on defense. The Ravens lead the NFL in total yardage with 452.1 per game and their 30.3-point scoring average is second behind the Detroit Lions. 

Much of the yardage and scoring has come thanks to their star quarterback and relentless running back. Jackson is a legitimate MVP candidate again with 2,099 passing yards, 17 touchdowns through the air, and two just interceptions with a 66.9% completion percentage. His main target has been Zay Flowers, who has 527 yards on 41 catches. Now coming into the fold is Diontae Johnson, who was acquired by the Ravens on Tuesday in a trade with Carolina

Jackson and running back Derrick Henry are the main contributors to Baltimore’s No. 1 rushing attack. While the Ravens’ signal-caller has already eclipsed 500 yards on 81 carries, every runner is chasing Henry, who leads the league with 946 rushing yards. He’s also first in carries (146) and touchdowns (nine). Henry could receive a large workload going up against Denver – a far better unit against the pass. The Broncos allow just 4.7 yards per attempt through the air. 

The most effective part of the Ravens defense is the ability to limit the running game. So if Nix regresses and becomes inconsistent, the Broncos may find trouble when they try to keep it on the ground with Javonte Williams, who is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. 

Lastly, Denver’s 5-3 record might be misleading. It’s faced the fifth-easiest schedule and has victories over 1-7 Carolina and 2-6 New Orleans.

Best bet for Broncos vs. Ravens: Broncos +9.5 (-115, FanDuel)

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Handicapping the over/under in this one is rather challenging because of the contrasting strengths and weaknesses – with Baltimore’s stellar rushing and passing mix going up against Denver’s defense and the Broncos ball control offense trying to find ways to exploit the Ravens. As for the spread, what opened at Ravens -10.5 has been trimmed somewhat, and at DraftKings it’s down to a 9 (as of Thursday). 

Even still, the Broncos have a good enough defense and are mistake-averse on the other side of the ball to at least keep this close with Payton calling the shots. They’ve done so – and more – quite often this season. Denver is 6-2 against the spread in 2024, covering by an average of 5.4 points per game. The Broncos have also covered in four straight on the road. Defense travels well, as the adage goes. 

And as for the Ravens, defense can keep opponents in the game. That’s exactly what happened against the Raiders in Week 2 and what took place last Sunday in Cleveland. 

Denver has a good enough defense and a competent enough offense to prevent this from becoming a high-scoring affair and increasing the likelihood of it ending up a one-score contest.