Ravens vs. Giants Odds
After a hot stretch of four straight wins, the Giants looked like the team to beat in the NFC East.
Since that run, little has gone right for them, losing their last two games. Now with two left, the Giants are one game behind Washington for the division lead, but they'll need to solve their offensive problems quickly if they hope to jump ahead of Washington and make the playoffs.
The Ravens have followed the exact opposite path as the Giants: An ice-cold stretch over which they lost four of five games had everyone selling their Baltimore stock. Now riding a three-win streak and averaging 40 points, the Ravens are back to being a team you don’t want to see in the playoffs. They currently sit outside the NFC's picture but have a clear path to the postseason.
In a game with playoff implications on the line, let’s see if we can find an angle with value.
New York Giants
Daniel Jones' hamstring injury has sent an offense that was trending upward back into disarray.
Without a healthy Jones leading the charge, the Giants have averaged 132 passing yards and 10 points per game. The Giants’ pass attack did receive some relief, as the Ravens could be without Marcus Peters in addition to Jimmy Smith.
However, beating Baltimore’s defense — which ranks third in yards per attempt allowed — will still be no easy task.
Not being able to run the ball recently has put too much pressure on backup quarterback Colt McCoy. With only 76 rushing yards per game over their last two, lack of balance could be why the offense underwhelmed. Facing the Ravens provides an opportunity to bounce back, though — the Ravens rank 17th in rushing yards allowed per attempt.
Defensively, the Giants will be a test for the red-hot Ravens' offense. New York’s defense has been built with big physical run stoppers and the results have shown, as they rank sixth in yards allowed per rush.
The addition of linebacker Blake Martinez has taken this rushing defense to the next level. Martinez ranks ninth at linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.
The other offseason addition of cornerback James Bradberry has made the pass defense a formidable one — he ranks sixth at cornerback, according to PFF.
The Ravens’ passing attack relies on misdirection to create big plays thanks to their elite rushing attack. Stopping the passing attack starts with taking away tight end Mark Andrews. But that is much easier said than done considering Andrews has had at least 13 yards per target in his last three games.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens' offense has looked unstoppable recently, largely thanks to Lamar Jackson playing as he did during his MVP run.
Over the Ravens' recent three-game winning streak, Jackson has been able to score at least three touchdowns in each game. The impressive part of this has been his ability to recognize what the defense is giving him and take advantage by throwing or rushing.
After his slow start to the season, J.K. Dobbins has taken over the lead back role, leading the Ravens in carries over their last four games. His production shows that he's deserving of the role, too, as he's averaged at least 4.0 yards per carry and scored in each game.
This will be Dobbins' first major test as a starter, since he hasn't faced a defensive front as talented as the Giants' unit.
Defensively, Baltimore bounced back last week, holding Jacksonville to 14 points and 267 yards. This was a good sign of recovery after letting Cleveland score 42 points and gain 493 yards.
Without two of their starting corners, slowing down quality offenses will be difficult. Luckily, the Ravens only have matchups against teams with bad offenses remaining: The Giants and Bengals.
This should give time for Peters and Smith to take the next couple of weeks to rest before the playoff run.
Giants-Ravens Pick
Against the Giants, the Ravens will see more resistance than they have in recent weeks, which should prevent them from having the type of explosiveness we've seen from the offense over their hot streak.
However, the Cardinals and Browns still beat the Giants comfortably over the past two weeks while scoring only 26 and 20 points. The Ravens could do much of the same.
The Giants' offense will need to play better if they hope to break out of their two-game slump. Against the Ravens, who rank fourth in points scored and ninth in yards allowed, that will be an uphill battle.
With the Ravens’ offense clicking, the Giants’ front will have trouble stopping the Ravens for four quarters.
While Baltimore's secondary is shorthanded due to injuries, it's hard to envision Colt McCoy playing well enough to keep pace. This sets the stage for a game similar to New York's previous two matchups — low-scoring but never truly competitive.
Picks: Ravens -9.5 | Total Under 44
