A pair of division leaders meet this Sunday in Baltimore when the Ravens host the Green Bay Packers. While both may be in first place in their divisions, their prospects couldn’t be more opposed.
The Green Bay Packers opened this season with a loss to the New Orleans Saints, 38-3, and have been near perfect since. Their 10-3 season mark has them leading the NFC North Division without any serious competition. The second place Vikings are 4 games behind Matt LaFleur’s Pack.
The Ravens lead the AFC North Division, but they have competition from all three other teams in the grouping. The Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers are all just one game back in the loss column.
The Ravens are also seemingly running on fumes.
Unlike the Packers, who have lit up their opponents with one of the most dynamic offenses in football, the Ravens have had to overcome the loss of their top three runningbacks even before the season started and a defense that has also been compromised by key injuries. The offense is focussed on quarterback Lamar Jackson, who can run or pass the Ravens to victory but has also been hampered by injuries throughout the 2021 campaign.
Last week, in Cleveland, he was carted off the field during the Ravens narrow loss to the Browns, 24-22, with an ankle injury. This week, head coach John Harbaugh has indicated he expects him to start, but he did not practice on Thursday and that is more of an indicator of his status.
Although, the more likely indicator that he is going to play or not is the line movement on this game. The first number released last Sunday had the Packers favored by seven points, a number that was dramatically shifted down to 4½ points early in the week. After the game was taken off the board for a brief time, it was reestablished with the Packers favored by 5½ points.
The point spread moves alone offers credence to the uncertainty of Jackson’s availability for Sunday.
Without Jackson, the Ravens appear overmatched.
With him, the generous point spread swings the advantage dramatically in the home team’s favor.
But, there is another factor at work here … and that is the motivational edge the Ravens carry into this game with or without their starting quarterback.
This is just too important of a game for the experienced Ravens squad to surrender even if Jackson is unable to play. With Jackson, if he is healthy enough to play in top form, the Ravens will likely win this game and the points on the spread will simply be an insurance policy on the wager.
Without Jackson, the spread will move up dramatically on Sunday morning and Baltimore will have the eye of the tiger while seemingly overmatched on the field.
In other words, I’ll take Baltimore without or without their talented quarterback.
Qoxhi Picks: Baltimore Ravens (+5½) over Green Bay Packers