Ravens by 2.5
No team has been ravaged more by loss of key personnel than the Baltimore Ravens. This team is a shell of it's former self, a complete transformation of the team that won the Super Bowl just 18 months ago. Trouble is, oddsmakers and the public know this, and now there is little value in fading the Ravens. Like many bettors, I lost tons of money betting on this team last year, thinking each week that they were "due" to snap out of the slump. They never did. The Ravens offensive line was horrible and the defense fell from one of the best of all-time to a unit that was very average. These two teams are closer in talent that some people may realize -- both starting almost from scratch. Carolina played tough down the stretch last season, while Ravens staggered into the playoffs by default. It remains to be seen what carryover effect last year will have on these two teams. Baltimore is a road favorite here (by -2.5). If this number were -3, I'd take the home dog in a heartbeat. But -2.5 is not enough to make a move at this time. It will be important to watch the Panthers in pre-season to see if they can establish some offensive continuity. If so, the Panthers will probably be the play. But, I'll wait and see.
No team has been ravaged more by loss of key personnel than the Baltimore Ravens. This team is a shell of it's former self, a complete transformation of the team that won the Super Bowl just 18 months ago. Trouble is, oddsmakers and the public know this, and now there is little value in fading the Ravens. Like many bettors, I lost tons of money betting on this team last year, thinking each week that they were "due" to snap out of the slump. They never did. The Ravens offensive line was horrible and the defense fell from one of the best of all-time to a unit that was very average. These two teams are closer in talent that some people may realize -- both starting almost from scratch. Carolina played tough down the stretch last season, while Ravens staggered into the playoffs by default. It remains to be seen what carryover effect last year will have on these two teams. Baltimore is a road favorite here (by -2.5). If this number were -3, I'd take the home dog in a heartbeat. But -2.5 is not enough to make a move at this time. It will be important to watch the Panthers in pre-season to see if they can establish some offensive continuity. If so, the Panthers will probably be the play. But, I'll wait and see.
