Carolina Panthers vs. Baltimore Ravens Week 11 Betting Preview & Predictions

Carolina Panthers (3-7 SU, 4-6 ATS) vs. Baltimore Ravens (6-3 SU, 4-4-1 ATS)
Week 11 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 1PM EST
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
TV: Fox

Point Spread: CAR +12/BAL -12 (Bovada)
Over/Under Total: 43.5

The Carolina Panthers take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in week 11 action from M&T Bank Stadium. While it was only their third win of the season, the Panthers were able to beat the Falcons 25-15 on Thursday Night Football, coming into this with a long week. They will have their hands full going into a stadium in which they are not used to playing when they battle the 6-3 Ravens, coming off the bye following an MNF win over the Saints, 27-13, for their third win in a row. Who can get us the cover in Baltimore this Sunday?

Panthers: Easy to Overlook

With Carolina, there are a lot of things on paper that don’t really shake out in a favorable way. When a coach gets fired, and you trade away your best player and were trying to make moves with other remaining talent, it paints the image of a team almost trying to tank. They can’t dial in the right recipe at quarterback, with PJ Walker struggling and them going back to Baker Mayfield. But at a time in the season when they were supposed to really go down the tubes, they actually started playing better. There was that bad loss to Cincy a few weeks ago, but in the last month, they’ve covered all spreads but that one while going 2-2 and looking anything but the worst team in the league.

Make no mistake, Carolina has a lot of issues. Quarterback play has made it so taking to the air is a major challenge. Their defense is pretty vulnerable, and they can really struggle in stopping the run, something that figures to really cost them against Baltimore this week. But they have some things that can take a sad song and make it better. Running back D’Onta Foreman has delivered some really big games recently, and while getting the ball to them hasn’t been easy, they have standout receiver talent with guys like DJ Moore, Terrace Marshall, and others who simply do not step up enough. With guys like Brian Burns and Jaycee Horn on the defense, along with others who can make plays, the grand total is somehow just a little better than their individual overall parts might suggest.

Good Spot for the Ravens?

After starting 6-3, the Ravens got a break, which followed a three-game spurt. That helped put an uneven start to the season more in the rearview. It also gave them a chance to get healthier, with TE Mark Andrews questionable for this one. Having lost Rashod Bateman for the season and with other injuries on this offense, they’re going to need answers in some form. It can’t just be all Lamar Jackson. As the Ravens set their sights on a strong second half and whatever follows, they’re going to need to have the horses on offense to bring that about. It looks like it will be Gus Edwards at lead back or possibly Kenyan Drake. With Jackson in there, they should be able to run the ball. But aerially, they are reduced to what may be a compromised Andrews, along with the likes of Devin Duvernay and DeSean Jackson. It’s not the rosiest proposition.

Still, a home spot against the Panthers is a nice way to come off the break. With the Bengals the only other divisional team over .500, the Ravens are in control of the AFC North. Even if they are compromised aerially, that’s likely not a part of their game that will be tested this week. It’s not a spot where the Ravens will be tested on the basis of how complete their offense either is or isn’t. In other words, the Ravens might have the image of a vulnerable contender that has been besieged by injuries, but it’s dicey if the Panthers will be able to bring those shortcomings to light. As we’ve seen repeatedly this season, it doesn’t take a great and complete offense to lay it on thick against this Panthers’ team.

More Picks: Get Loot’s recommended bet for the Week 11 Was/Hou game

Hope for the Panthers?

The Ravens haven’t only been dicey in getting aerial production but also in stopping it. They catch a possible break this week by going against a Panthers’ offense that isn’t known for aerial production. And granted, Baker Mayfield has done little to establish himself as a force in this offense, but between him and Walker, one could imagine Mayfield being the one to get more out of this offense aerially. That could also come with more costly mistakes, but they at least have that angle, whereas it was looking pretty iffy for Walker in terms of airing it out. Combine that with a hungry-running Foreman as he tries to secure a full-time starting gig, and it’s not such a shabby outlook. But in order for the Panthers to give the Ravens a run this week, they’re going to need something good to happen through the air. For all their issues and injury setbacks this season, the Ravens’ defensive front has been pretty rigid, which could force the Panthers into finding other sources of production.

Take the Points

One can’t deny that, on paper, the Ravens match up pretty well in this spot. They’re at home and rested, hosting a team out of their element. The Panthers being a team that relies on the run, also feeds into the Ravens’ strengths. It’s just hard to take a compromised Baltimore offense, one that relies so heavily on the run, and fancy them as the kind of offense where laying this many points feels comfortable. In a pick that is made with some trepidation, I’ll take the Panthers and the points this week.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Carolina Panthers plus 12 points.