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Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens Odds & Game Pick

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Lamar Jackson versus Deshaun Watson has “game of the week” written all over it. Two of the absolutely most exciting quarterbacks in the league will face off in what should be a playoff-like atmosphere in Baltimore. A potential playoff preview, both of these teams have legitimate chances to take the AFC crown. The Ravens are 7-2. The Texans are right behind them at 6-3.

Houston has actually been better against the spread this season at 5-4, compared to Baltimore’s 4-5. Baltimore has been the highest-scoring team in the league this season with 33.3 points per game. Houston sits at 26.4. Let’s dig in. 

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Details

  • Opening Lines: The consensus point spread for this contest opened at -4.5 on Baltimore. The consensus over/under total opened at 49.5 points. The point spread has seen a slight decrease to -4. The over/under total has been up and down throughout the week, but currently rests back at its opening line of 49.5. 
  • Current Line: Baltimore -4
  • O/U: 49.5
  • Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 
  • Start Time: 1:00 PM EST, Sunday, November 17
  • Last Meeting: Baltimore defeated Houston 23-16 – November 27, 2017

View consensus picks from 100+ experts for the Texans at Ravens >>

Overview 

The Houston Texans are currently 6-3, and they sit atop the AFC South. The Texans are expected to be welcoming star receiver Will Fuller back to the lineup after a multi-week absence. Houston has found some balance with Carlos Hyde and the running game, and with Fuller back, their offense will be at their most explosive.

The Texans have made some noteworthy in-season additions. They brought in Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills from the Miami Dolphins. They acquired cornerback Gareon Conley from the Oakland Raiders. And most recently, they added Vernon Hargreaves off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With six wins already under their belt, the Texans have a clear path to an 11-win season. If they want to get to 12, it will include beating the Baltimore Ravens or the New England Patriots. 

The Baltimore Ravens have been excellent this season and currently sit at an impressive 7-2 record. They have picked up marquee wins this season by knocking off the undefeated New England Patriots and one of top teams in the NFC in the Seattle Seahawks. Like the Texans, the Ravens looked to make an in-season splash addition. They added former All-Pro corner, Marcus Peters. They kicked the tires on both Jalen Ramsey and Jamal Adams.

No discourse on the Baltimore Ravens would be complete without specifically addressing the meteoric rise of one Lamar Jackson. Jackson, like Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, and Patrick Mahomes before him, is redefining what NFL evaluators look for in signal-callers. One of the current favorites to win the MVP Award, Jackson has spearheaded the most explosive offense in the league. The Ravens are averaging a league-high 33.3 points per game. They have a clear path to a 12-win season and could get to 13 or 14 if they can beat Houston.

Trends 

  • Houston is 4-1 ATS in their last five contests against Baltimore. 
  • Under is 5-1 in the last six contests between these two teams. 
  • Under is 5-0 in the last five contests between these two teams. 
  • Houston is 5-4 ATS on the season. 
  • Houston is 3-1 ATS on the road this season.
  • Baltimore is 4-5 ATS on the season. 
  • Baltimore is 1-3 ATS at home this season. 
  • Houston is 4-1 ATS in their last five road contests. 
  • Houston is 2-7 ATS in their last nine contests against teams with winning records. 
  • Houston is 1-5 ATS in their last six contests following a win ATS. 
  • Houston is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 road contests against teams with a winning home record. 
  • Houston is 5-1 ATS in their last six November contests. 
  • Baltimore is 1-6 ATS in their last seven home contests. 
  • Baltimore is 1-4 ATS in their last five home contests against teams with winning records. 
  • Baltimore is 3-0 ATS in their last three contests. 
  • Over is 4-1 in Houston’s last five contests against teams with winning records. 
  • Over is 6-2 in Houston’s last eight road contests. 
  • Under is 6-2 in Houston’s last eight contests against the AFC.
  • Under is 11-4 in Houston’s last 15 contests following a win ATS.  
  • Over is 4-0 in Baltimore’s last four November contests. 
  • Over is 6-1 in Baltimore’s last seven contests against the AFC.
  • Over is 4-1 in Baltimore’s last five contests following a win ATS. 
  • Over is 5-2 in Baltimore’s last seven contests. 

Prop Bets 

Marquise Brown over 50 receiving yards (-250)
Marquise Brown over 50 receiving yards looks like the best player prop available at PointsBet. With 75+ yards at just +110, building a bankroll becomes our focus with this prop. There is much more value in taking the over on 50 receiving yards. For proof of this, all we need to do is do some simple line shopping. Another book has +48 receiving yards at -526, and +58 receiving yards at -227.

Brown has cleared the posted total in three of his seven contests (he hit 48 yards in two others). It is important to take this into context, as Brown has played over 60 percent of his team’s snaps just three times all season. With a tough date against the Texans on the schedule, Brown should see a high volume afternoon in both snaps and targets. Brown is averaging 64.9 receiving yards per game on the season and 52 per contest at home. Gameflow should necessitate keeping the explosive rookie receiver on the field and as part of the offense. Whether to lay for a full unit return or to settle for a partial return is up to the individual.

Bottom Line

This is the perfect time to bet for Ravens bettors. The consensus point spread for this contest has dropped from its original number of -4.5 to -4. Baltimore is the hottest team in the league and is playing at home. If there was some line shading on this point spread, the early bettors have essentially decreased the risk. While there is a high probability that this ends up a one-score game, there are reasons to believe that the Ravens will win by six points or more. With the Ravens currently sitting at +100 at PointsBet, there is no doubt as to where to lock in our action. Baltimore has averaged a league-high 33.3 points per game on the season. Houston checks in at 26.4 per contest. The Ravens have won three straight against the spread and appear poised to make it four this weekend. Lock in the Ravens before the odds shift. 

Pick: Baltimore Ravens -4 (+100)

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Check out our other NFL Sports Betting Guides for Week 10

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins (+6.5)
Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions (+7)
New York Jets at Washington Redskins (-2.5)
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (-4.5)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts (-2.5)
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+5.5)
Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings (-10)
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-9)
New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles (+4)
Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders (-11.5)
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams (-6)
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers (+4)

Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive, and follow him @FantasyContext.