The final game of Week 2 of the NFL preseason is the one we have all been waiting for. Will the Baltimore Ravens extend their historic preseason winning streak to 25 games? Will Ron Rivera and the Washington Commanders try to play spoiler? We break it down with the betting odds, picks, and more.
Make sure to take advantage of these sign-up offers this NFL season!
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/widget/offers/pro-football-network/dynamic/sportsbooks:1,2,3,4/promos:1?id=7829b26f-55d5-4702-9739-31ad1bcb4c65″]
Baltimore Ravens (-1.5) vs. Washington Commanders
Bearman: I am not reinventing the wheel here. We have all heard this story before. Baltimore has not lost a preseason game since 2015, a span of 24 consecutive wins.
Head coach John Harbaugh and the Ravens just approach the preseason differently than anyone else, so why should we think they would lose now? They looked okay last week vs. the Eagles, dominating the second half before a pick-six nearly cost them the game, if not for a failed two-point conversion to keep everyone’s favorite story alive.
On the other side, the Commanders didn’t do much vs. the Browns other than score twice in the second quarter. Quarterback Sam Howell was named the starter for the regular-season opener, but that doesn’t really scare me here.
We’ve made a ton of money taking the Ravens over the last decade, so why stop now, especially at such a short price? Last week, the moneyline got up to -350, but it’s only -125 now. Roll the dice for No. 25.
Pick: Ravens ML (-125)
Soppe: Unders are never fun, but the number is set at 37.5, nearly 2.5 points north of the average Ravens game during this historic winning streak (35.04).
During the past three preseason meetings between these two teams, there have been a total of 99 points scored (33 per game).
You can find me on the under and potentially live on the Ravens at halftime. They’ve beaten the Commanders five times during this crazy run, and they’ve won the final 30 minutes by an average of 7.2 points. They don’t play in the SEC, but “it just means more” certainly applies to how the Black and Purple approach summer football.
Pick: Under 37.5 (-110)
Place your bet on this year’s Super Bowl winner on the widget below!
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/new/widget/tile/nfl/org:pro-football-network/event:2023-24-futures/topic:super-bowl-winner/variant:1/sportsbook:draftkings?id=e85f917f-f1d3-47d7-a7b9-bff4838c0265″]
Baltimore Ravens Roster and Injury Report
The Ravens suffered a major injury this week, with Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey undergoing foot surgery. With Humphrey expected to be out a while, Baltimore signed veteran cornerback Ronald Darby as a replacement.
Another notable signing on defense this week for the Ravens was veteran DE Jadeveon Clowney. The former No. 1 overall pick played for the Cleveland Browns last season and gives Baltimore some additional depth on the defensive line.
In their one-point win over the Eagles last week, the Ravens sat all of their starters. It has yet to be confirmed how many starters, if any, will play tonight against the Commanders.
Baltimore has a bunch of new pass catchers that their fans will hope to get a first look at tonight, most notably wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers. Last week against the Eagles, the Ravens’ backup quarterbacks spread the ball around, targeting 15 different players.
Washington Commanders Roster and Injury Report
Head coach Ron Rivera officially named Howell the starting quarterback this week. In last week’s matchup against the Browns, Howell went 9 of 12 for 77 passing yards and a touchdown.
On the injury front, DT Jonathan Allen has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, though Rivera said the injury isn’t serious. TE Logan Thomas is questionable due to a calf injury and was held out of their game last week.
Rivera told reporters that there are a number of players and position groups that he will have his eye on for the next two preseason games. This sounds like an indication that we won’t see much of the starters, if at all, as they want to give more opportunities to the backups.