49ers vs. Ravens Betting Line

Home: Baltimore Ravens (7-3 overall, 5-0 at home)
Away: San Francisco 49ers (9-1 overall, 4-0 on the road)
When: Week 12. Thanksgiving Day. Thursday November 24, 2011 at 8:20pm ET
TV: NFL Network

The final Thanksgiving Day NFL game is this awesome matchup between the San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens. This game features a much-ballyhooed (yeah, I said ballyhooed) fight between head coaching brothers Jim and John Harbaugh. Jim’s San Francisco 49ers come into the game 9-1 on the season, and 4-0 on the road. John’s Baltimore Ravens team sits atop the AFC North at 7-3 overall, and 5-0 at home.

Although the Steelers have the same overall record, the Ravens would win the AFC North if the season ended today (due to their 3-0 division record). However, a Ravens loss and Steelers (vs. Chiefs) win on Sunday could change that, so the Ravens need to win this game.

The 49ers have all but locked-up the NFC West and are looking to hold onto their first round bye in the playoffs. At the end of this game, one sibling will be celebrating a brother-beatdown, and the other will be Harbawling like a baby. You heard me.

At the time this article is being written, the Ravens come in favored at -3.5 (-105) at BetOnline and -3 (-125) at Bodog. Below are the latest 49ers vs. Ravens betting lines from the best US friendly sports betting sites. BetOnline accepts Visa, Mastercard and Amex. Bodog accepts Visa. To place a bet, click on any of the sportsbook logos or odds links below.

Latest 49ers at Ravens Betting Lines: Week 12, 2011

49ers vs. Ravens Thanksgiving Day Analysis & Prediction

As mentioned above, the San Francisco 49ers are 4-0 on the road, but the Baltimore Ravens are 5-0 at home. If this game doesn’t look competitive enough yet, take a look at how they compare in other areas.

The 49ers offense is all about the running game. They average 134.2 rushing ypg, but just 188.3 ypg passing. Even with a weak passing game, the 49ers are tied for 7th in the league with 25.6 points per game. Wanna guess who they’re tied with? Yep, the Ravens. Both teams have scored 256 points so far this season.

For the Ravens offense, it’s just the opposite. Their rushing game is awful, averaging just 99.6 ypg. However, their passing game ranks 12th in the NFL with 244.3 ypg.

The 49ers and Ravens have two of the best defenses in the NFL. The 49ers rank #1 in points allowed, giving up just 14.5 points per game. The Ravens rank #3, allowing just 17.6 points per game.

The 49ers have the #1 rushing defense, allowing a paltry 73.9 ypg. The Ravens rushing defense ranks #5, allowing just 93.2 ypg. 49ers edge, but both are very tough.

The Ravens have the #7 ranked passing defense, giving up 211.3 ypg. The 49ers rank 23rd in the league, giving up 249.2 ypg. Ravens edge.

Here’s the difference in the game: Turnovers. The 49ers are way the best in the league, at +17 in takeaways/giveways, versus +3 for the Ravens. The 49ers defense has intercepted 15 passes this season, and caused 11 fumbles. Their offense has only thrown 4 INT’s and fumbled the ball 5 times. It’s not hard to see why their opponents can’t score against the 49ers – they never have the ball.

Considering that the Ravens offense relies so heavily on their passing game, look for the 49ers defense to create turnovers and control the clock. Their excellent running game will eat precious minutes, giving the Ravens offense few opportunities to score.

I’m predicting a 49ers win by 4+ points based almost primarily on turnovers. These teams are so closely matched in other ways that a win in the turnover battle of 1+ could easily be the difference. The way they stack-up, it’s reasonable to assume they could win the turnover battle by 2 or more.

Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers Point Spread

At the time this article is being written, the Ravens point spread is -3.5 (-105) at BetOnline, and -3 (-125) at Bodog. The 49ers point spread is +3.5 (-115) at BetOnline, and +3 (+105) at Bodog.

Since I’m expecting a 49ers win by 4+ points, of course I’m taking them at +3 (+105) at Bodog. I still get a field goal for a push, and I love this bet.

If you prefer the Ravens in this one, it’s a question of giving up the extra 1/2 point at BetOnline and getting -105, or paying a more for -3.

49ers vs. Ravens Money Line

The current 49ers vs. Ravens money line is the same at BetOnline and Bodog. The Ravens money line is -180, and the 49ers money line is +160. Since I’m predicting a 49ers win, I’m all over this bet. I’m taking the San Francisco 49ers at +160 at BetOnline.

Ravens vs. 49ers Over/Under Betting Odds

The Ravens vs. 49ers over/under went straight from 38.5 (-110) to 40 (-110) at BetOnline and Bodog – at almost the same instant (big money coming in?). While this will be a defensive battle, this is still a fairly low total. I’m expecting a final score in the range of 21-13 up to 24-20. This gives us totals from 34 to 44, and a slight edge to the under.

However, 21-17 seems like the most predictable score, and I’m going to go with that. This gives us a total of 41, so I’m going to bet the over of 40 (-110) at BetOnline.com.

I wish I’d gotten in when the over/under was 38.5, but I was too late. Considering how quickly the over/under has already moved today, I’m concerned that I could miss 40 and have to decide on 40.5 or 41. To follow the latest Ravens vs. 49ers betting lines, visit our NFL betting lines page.

Bet on San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens

As I mentioned above, I’m predicting a 49ers outright win by 4+ points. So, I’ve bet on the 49ers point spread, at +3 (+105) at Bodog. I also bet on the 49ers money line, at +160 at BetOnline.

For the Ravens vs. 49ers over/under, I just placed my bet on the over, at 40 (-110) at BetOnline.