Texans vs. Ravens Betting Line
Home: Baltimore Ravens (12-4 overall, 8-0 at home)
Away: Houston Texans (10-6 overall, 5-3 on the road)
What: AFC Divisional Playoffs
When: Sunday, January 15, 2012. 1:00 pm ET
TV: CBS
This AFC Divisional Playoff game is a rematch of week 6 during the regular season. In that game, the Baltimore Ravens won a convincing 29-14 matchup at home. That was a long time ago, but the Ravens went 8-0 at home this year and the Houston Texans are facing a tough challenge. The Texans beat the Bengals in the Wild Card round, while the Ravens got some rest with the #2 seed and a first round bye.
Texans vs. Ravens Point Spread
At the time this article is being written (Sunday, 9:15am ET), the best Texans point spread is +7.5 (-110) at BetOnline.com. The best Ravens point spread is -7.5 (-110), also at BetOnline.com.
This should be a low scoring game, and this spread is too large in my opinion. In this game, if you’re taking the Ravens on the spread I think you also have to take the over. Otherwise, to win the Ravens spread and the under, the Texans have to score no more than 13-14 points. That’s a lot to ask of any defense, including the Ravens.
Personally, I do think this will be a low scoring game, and I think the Texans vs. Ravens point spread is too big right now. So, I’m taking the Houston Texans +7.5 (-110) at BetOnline.com.
Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens Money Line
The Texans money line is +305 at BetOnline.com, and the Ravens money line is -365. Of course we’ll see some movement on the money line before the game begins, so keep an eye on the chart above for the latest odds.
This should be a fairly low scoring defensive battle, which means it could go either way. Although the Baltimore Ravens are 8-0 at home this year, the Texans have a shot to win if their defense holds up. They have an excellent rushing defense, and they’ll need it against Ray Rice. QB T.J. Yates will need to deal with the pressure put on him and find ways to confuse the Baltimore defense (not an easy task).
The Baltimore Ravens also have a great rushing defense, but they’re going against the #2 ranked rushing offense in the NFL. Maybe you’ve heard of Arian Foster? This dude is a super-beast, rushing for 1224 yards and receiving another 617 during the regular season. In their Wild Card game against the Bengals, Foster ran for 153 yards on 24 attempts (6.4 avg), and 2 TD’s. The Ravens defensive challenges will be as tough, if not tougher then the Texans.
In my opinion, this game all comes down to the Texans defense. They must keep Ravens QB Joe Flacco at bay, and keep the score low. If they can’t do that, they can’t win. Aside from the Wild Card game, the Texans haven’t scored more than 22 since week 10. If their defense gives up 23+, I don’t see how the Texans can outscore the Ravens.
I’m not saying that Houston will win this, but they have a better shot than the Ravens-Texans money line is showing right now. If this is a defensive battle like most expect it to be, I definitely see value on the Texans money line at +305.
I’m betting on the Texans money line of +305 at BetOnline.com. I think the Texans win this game about 35% of the time, translating into decent value here.
Houston Texans – Baltimore Ravens Over/Under
At the time this is being written (Sunday, Jan. 15 at 10:30am ET), the Texans-Ravens over/under is 37 (-110) at BetOnline.com, and 36.5 (-110) at JustBet.cx.
2011 – 2012 Regular Season Points Allowed
Houston Texans: 17.4 PTS/G
Baltimore Ravens: 16.6 PTS/G
2011 – 2012 Regular Season Points Scored
Houston Texans: 23.8 PTS/G
Baltimore Ravens: 23.6 PTS/G
Of course the stats above only tell a small part of the story for predicting the Texans vs. Ravens over/under, but it’s a starting point. If the Ravens score 23+, the Texans have to be held to 13 or fewer points to win the under. If they score 21, the Texans can score up to 15. This is asking a lot of any defense, even these two.
During the final weeks of the Texans regular season, the Texans weren’t scoring much. However, T.J. Yates was very green, and he has some experience under his belt now. He understands his offense better, and should be more effective now than he was a few weeks ago. His coaching staff also knows how to use him better, and when to let Foster take over. The Texans managed 31 points against the Bengals in the Wild Card round, and I expect them to get in the 14-20 range for sure. Since I also expect a Ravens win, it’s a tight window to win the under.
I don’t expect either team to light up the scoreboard, but I look for a final score in the range of 21-14 up to 24-20. This gives us a range of 35 to 44 points, giving us more winning overs than unders.
On the Ravens vs. Texans over/under, I’m taking the over of 36.5 (-110) at JustBet.cx. If you prefer the under, get it at 37 (-110) at BetOnline.com.
* The article below was written for a previous matchup between the Ravens & Texans. The article above is for the 2011 – 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff game being held on Sunday, January 15, 2012.
The Baltimore Ravens (8-4) play the Houston Texans (5-7) this week on Monday Night Football. After losing last week, Baltimore will need to play a great game to keep pace in the tough AFC North. Houston started out the season on fire, but they’re only 1-4 in their last 5 games and things have basically fallen apart. It’s highly unlikely the Texans will be making the playoffs this season, but they’re looking to play spoiler the rest of the way.
MNF – Ravens vs Texans Point Spread & Betting Lines
At the time of this writing (Friday, Dec. 10th at 11:40pm ET), the lines are almost identical at each of the following online sportsbooks. Bodog hasn’t opened their money line yet, but they’re offering -110 on the Texans +3 instead of -115 like the other books. Of course, as we get closer to game time, the lines will continue to change. We’ll update this page as often as possible. Visit our homepage to view the most current betting lines, for the NFL playoffs.
* This game has ended, so the lines have been removed.
Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans – Free Prediction
For the Houston Texans, what started off as a promising season has turned into another disappointment. Typically the Texans have struggled with running the ball, but this season they have the 7th best rushing attack in the NFL with an average of 130.5 rushing YPG. Matt Schaub has been getting the job done on offense, passing an average of 257.4 YPG, which is good for 10th best in the NFL.
Baltimore doesn’t possess the offensive power of the Texans, but they’re still above average. So far this season, the Ravens are ranked 15th in the league in passing (233.2 YPG), with numbers very similar to the Texans. Baltimore ranks 16th in the league in rushing, at 108.4 YPG, with a pitiful 3.6 yards per carry.
The Ravens have a much better defense than the Texans, and this is why they’ll win them the game on Monday night. The Ravens are only giving up 16.8 points per game this season, which is 4th best in the league. Houston on the other hand has been giving up an average of 26.8 points per game, which is ranked 27th in the league.
Not that he needs any more motivation, but expect Ray Lewis to be on his A+++ game this week. Not only does this game have AFC North and playoff implications, but it’s also a MNF game. This means one thing – Ray Lewis is going to be an absolute animal. If you’re betting on this game, do not forget what I just said. Nobody on the field will want to win this game more than Lewis, and you know what he can do when he’s possessed.
Baltimore needs to win this game to keep pace with the Steelers, and even though they’re on the road they should be able to pull it out. Baltimore is only 3-3 on the road this season while the Texans also have a 3-3 record at home. Houston has had no problem putting up points, but they’ve had a lot of trouble stopping the opposition.
Ray Rice may not be able to get it going against the 10th ranked Texans rushing defense, but Flacco shouldn’t have much of a problem airing it out against Houston’s 32nd ranked passing defense. Houston has had trouble stopping everyone through the air this season, and that should be a problem again this week. Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason have quietly been putting up solid numbers, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they each catch a TD.
I think we’re going to see the Ravens score more than we’re used to, and the Texans are likely to score less. Baltimore should be able to prevail in this match-up and although the game may push, I’m confident that the Ravens cover the 3 point spread.
I’m taking the Ravens -3 (-105) at BetOnline.com, and I’m skipping the over/under. If I had to pick, I’d go with the under, but if the Texans are able to penetrate the Ravens defense, we could easily lose this bet. It’s too close to call imo, so I’m staying away from the o/u on this game.
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