The top-seeded Baltimore Ravens will begin their 2024 NFL playoffs on Saturday when they host the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round. Baltimore (13-4) won the AFC North and won six straight before resting its starters in Week 18. Meanwhile, the Texans (10-7) have won three straight after knocking off the Browns, 45-14, in the Wild Card Round. These teams met in Week 1 in which the Ravens managed a 25-9 home victory, and Baltimore has defeated Houston in each of their last four meetings.
Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. ET in Baltimore. The Ravens are 9.5-point favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 43.5 in the latest Ravens vs. Texans odds from SportsLine consensus. Before you make any Texans vs. Ravens picks, you need to see what proven SportsLine NFL expert Mike Tierney has to say, considering his mastery of picks involving the Ravens.
A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. He is coming off a typically strong 2022 NFL season in which he went 68-54-6, returning $815 to $100 players.
In addition, he is an amazing 48-18-2 on his last 70 NFL picks in games involving the Ravens, returning a whopping $2,810. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, the model has set its sights on Texans vs. Ravens and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several NFL odds and betting trends for Texans vs. Ravens:
- Ravens vs. Texans spread: Baltimore -9.5
- Ravens vs. Texans Over/Under: 43.5 points
- Ravens vs. Texans money line: Baltimore -451, Houston +348
- HOU: Texans are 10-7-1 against the spread this season
- BAL: Ravens are 11-6 against the spread this season
- Ravens vs. Texans picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Ravens vs. Texans live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Ravens can cover
Baltimore easily dispatched of Houston earlier this season, despite Lamar Jackson accounting for zero total touchdowns. Baltimore's defense shined in that matchup, keeping Houston out of the endzone, and the Ravens defense is statistically the best in the NFL. It led the league in points allowed and turnovers forced, while ranking second in redzone defense and sixth in total defense. That unit is playing its best entering the divisional round as the Ravens have kept each of their last four opponents -- all of whom finished the season above .500 -- to 19 points or fewer.
On offense, Baltimore runs a complex running scheme that led the league in rushing yards and was third in rushing average. Both Gus Edwards and Lamar Jackson had over 800 rushing yards, with the latter leading the NFL with 5.5 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Houston has struggled versus the run, as just four teams allowed more rushing TDs than the Texans. They have especially been victimized by mobile quarterbacks like Jackson as no NFL team allowed more rushing touchdowns to QBs than the Texans. See which team to pick here.
Why Texans can cover
Houston has a strong array of pass-catchers in the aerial attack. Nico Collins has stepped up in 2023 and became the No. 1 weapon for the Texans. Collins has strong body control and tracks the ball well when it's in the air. The Michigan product was eighth in the NFL in receiving yards (1,297) and tied for eighth in touchdowns (eight). During the regular season, Collins went over 100 receiving yards in five games.
In the Wild Card win over the Browns, Collins had six grabs for 95 yards and a score. Tight end Dalton Schultz brings a sense of consistency to the Texans. Schultz has secure hands with good speed and runs solid routes. He finished the year with 59 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns. In his last outing, he reeled in a 37-yard touchdown grab. See which team to pick here.
How to make Texans vs. Ravens picks
Tierney has analyzed Texans vs. Ravens and while we can tell you he's leaning Over the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins Texans vs. Ravens in the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL playoffs and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texans vs. Ravens spread hits hard, all from the expert who is 48-18 on picks involving Baltimore, and find out.
