Win at all costs. This late into the season, the Baltimore Ravens cannot afford any more losses. They avoided one on Sunday as their defense helped them fend off the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens will need to notch a third straight win when they visit NRG Stadium on Week 16 to keep their playoff bid alive.
Despite a 7-7 record, the Houston Texans are still in the hunt based on statistics. However, they’ll need a couple of things to go their way. Knocking Baltimore off its perch is one of them. Read on as we breakdown this crucial matchup in the AFC playoff race.
Craving for more football? Check out our complete picks and predictions for this week’s football action. Don’t forget to dig into our complete preview of the big Seahawks vs. Cardinals showdown for NFC West on Sunday Night Football.
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Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans Preview
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston
When: Sunday, December 21, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Baltimore Ravens (-5.5) at Houston Texans (+5.5); total 41.5 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Baltimore Ravens
It wasn’t pretty, but the Baltimore Ravens took one more step toward the playoffs last week. The Ravens came from behind to defeat the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars 20-12 in an uninspiring performance Sunday.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Defense proved to be the Ravens’ key to winning the game. Baltimore sacked rookie quarterback Blake Bortles eight times. Terrell Suggs had 2.6 sacks to lead the team and rookie Timmy Jernigan had two while starting for the suspended Haloti Ngata. Meanwhile, Ravens sacks leader Elvis Dumervil had one to match his single-season high of 17.
The Ravens face another rookie quarterback in the Texans’ Tom Savage in this one, and as a result it may be another day filled with sacks and turnovers.
If the Texans struggle in the passing game, they may resort to a more run-oriented attack. Baltimore can stop that too. The Ravens have allowed only 84.3 yards per game. The pass rush duo of Dumervil and Suggs have also excelled at stopping opponents from passing the line of scrimmage. Dumervil leads the team with 14 tackles for loss, while Suggs isn’t too far behind with 12.
While the defense certainly did its part, the Ravens’ special teams also had some production. Free safety Darian Stewart blocked a punt on the opening drive and Kamar Aiken returned it 11 yards for a touchdown. It was the Ravens’ first touchdown off a blocked punt since November 2003. However, the special teams were not without their hiccups. The usually reliable kicker Justin Tucker missed on two of four field goal attempts.
Playing behind a solid offensive line, quarterback Joe Flacco avoided being sacked as he went 20 for 30 for 221 yards and a touchdown Sunday. Tight end Owen Daniels hauled in the Baltimore quarterback’s lone touchdown pass. He ran a great route for a 29-yard reception, then scored on a three-yard catch on the subsequent play.
Against a Houston passing defense which has allowed 257.1 yards per game, expect Flacco and Daniels to rack up the yards. Baltimore’s leading receivers Torrey Smith and Steve Smith may also end up having big games against Houston.
The Ravens are 7-1 (5-3 ATS) against Houston in the past 12 years.
Betting on the Houston Texans
The Houston Texans just cannot catch a break. After deactivating Andre Johnson and tight end Garrett Graham for Sunday’s game, the Texans lost starting Ryan Fitzpatrick to a fractured leg early in the second quarter. With Fitzpatrick injured, the Texans turned to rookie quarterback Tom Savage. The rookie was ineffectual as he completed 10 of 19 passes for 127 yards with two forced fumbles (one lost) and an interception.
Despite having a rookie behind center, Houston may have some success in the passing department with receivers Andre Johnson (if cleared to play after suffering a concussion in Week 14) and DeAndre Hopkins (10.7 and 17 yards per catch respectively) making key plays against the Ravens’ sketchy secondary. The Ravens have allowed 259.9 passing yards per game. The Texans can also help their rookie quarterback open up his passing game by utilizing play-action fakes to threaten with their running back Arian Foster.
Foster can also wreak havoc himself if his offensive line can give him open lanes to rush through. The Houston running back has averaged 4.6 yards per carry and a total of two rushing touchdowns in four career games against the Ravens.
On the other side of the ball, the spotlight was once again on Houston’s unstoppable defensive lineman J.J. Watt. The MVP candidate had two sacks against Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck. It was the third straight game that Watt had at least two sacks and the 14th multi-sack game of his career.
Despite consistently churning out big numbers, Watt may meet his match in Baltimore’s tight offensive line. Ravens quarterback Flacco has been sacked only 16 times this season (the second-lowest mark in the league).
The Texans are 4-2 ATS following a loss.
Writer’s Prediction
The Ravens win big and cover on the road. Create a betting account now and dive in deep into the NFL playoff race.
