Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns (MNF)
Baltimore Ravens (4-4) are in a very complicated situation and they are in a desperate need to score wins and there is not better opportunity for that than facing the lowly Cleveland Browns (1-7). On the current season, Baltimore wasn't able to get the upper hand against strong teams, but when their opponents are weak sides, they have completely dominating those teams and had scored a lot of points too.
Baltimore offense has sophomore QB Joe Flacco, a good player when has enough time to make his calls and we are expecting such a thing tonight. His partners are WR Derrick Mason, Flacco's main target and Ravens' best wide receiver, because if we see things right RB Ray Rice also plays as wide receiver. Baltimore also has TE Todd Heap who is used by Joe Flacco from time to time.
Ravens running game has RB Ray Rice (5.3 YPC) and RB Willis McGahee (4.3 YPC), both are good options to use against the weak Browns' defense and we can expect Baltimore to have good plays both by the air and by the ground.
Baltimore Defense has been completely dominated on the passing game by good teams, but the Ravens' secondary is one of the best in the NFL and against Cleveland won't have big problems on this subject. Curiously, Baltimore defense has been outstanding on their rushing defense, which is a good thing for us, because tonight they will face a team which is stronger on the ground, if we can say that the Browns offense is strong...
Cleveland will start again QB Brady Quinn and I don't think that a good idea, he will have a lot of problems, mainly against ILB Ray Lewis who will take special care of him, and against S Ed Reed, who might pick some of his passes... Browns offense is quite weak on the passing game, with WR Braylon Edwards and WR Mohamed Massaquio, 2 players that haven't done a single touchdown this season. TE Todd Heap who already has 1 touchdown scored is another option, but there is no doubt that by the air, this Cleveland offense is one of the weakest of the NFL.
That's why they prefer to play by running the ball and RB Jamal Lewis and RB Jerome Harrison will have the hard task to penetrate the hardened Ravens rushing defense which has been completely fantastic, so overall, It will be very hard for the Browns to score points against Baltimore tonight.
On the defense, Cleveland has not a great team either, against the passing game is average, but against this Ravens offense, I doubt they will hold them much longer, because not only the Browns have to worry about the Ravens' WRs, but specially their main weakness is playing against the running game, they simply can't stop the opponents' rushing game and they have been completely mauled by their opposition in a weekly basis.
Baltimore only need to win this game to keep their hopes with a wild card alive and I can't see any other result than a win for the Ravens, and with the road favorite team having all the edges on the offense and on the defense, the only strong spot of this Browns team is their ground offense but the Baltimore has improved already on that subject, therefore I will take the Ravens against Cleveland, who I think will lose this game by at least 2 touchdowns.
Pick: Baltimore Ravens -10.5 -105 (1.95) Bet Jamaica
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