NFL Betting Preview - Baltimore Ravens
Ray Rice had over 2,000 yards rushing and receiving last season.
If you're looking for a great NFL betting future to dig into, the Baltimore Ravens might be one of the safest bets on the board to make the playoffs in 2010.
The team is coming off of a 9-7 season in which it snuck into the playoffs and ultimately trumped the New England Patriots in the first round before bowing out to the Indianapolis Colts. With a bunch of new faces in tote, this year could be even better.
Baltimore hasn't ever been confused as a team with a juggernaut for an offense, but 2010 could be different. The addition of WR Anquan Boldin from the Arizona Cardinals is going to give WR Derrick Mason a great complement for the first time in his career. Mason is coming off of a season in which he caught 73 passes for 1,028 yards and seven TDs.
Quarterback Joe Flacco had a great second year in the NFL. He completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,613 yards and 21 TDs against 12 INTs. Averaging 213.7 YPG through the air only left Baltimore at No. 18 in the NFL in that department, but things should certainly improve this season with Boldin joining the fold.
Baltimore is also looking for RB Ray Rice to have yet another great season. The Rutgers product averaged 5.3 YPC last season and was quite efficient seemingly every single time he touched the football. He was one of just three backs in the game to account for over 2,000 yards of offense. Rice had 1,339 yards on 254 carries on the season. He also had 702 yards as a receiver, which was second on the team.
Rice's 78 receptions led the squad and all running backs in the NFL on the year.
The 'O' also added a lot of depth at tight end this year, as both Dennis Pitta out of BYU and Ed Dickson of Oregon will join perennial Pro Bowler Todd Heap for the Ravens.
Defense is really where Baltimore has always excelled, and this year will be no exception. The team ranked third in the NFL in both total defense (300.5 YPG) and scoring (16.3 PPG). The Ravens were also No. 8 in the league is pass defense (207.2 YPG) and No. 5 in rush defense (93.2 YPG).
Though both LB Ray Lewis and SS Ed Reed are starting to age just a tad, the defense just continues to be infused with young talent. This year through the NFL Draft, the Ravens grabbed both LB Sergio Kindle and DT Terrence Cody.
Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is already big enough in his own right at 6-foot4, 345 pounds. But if he were to line up next to the man known as "Mount Cody," scat backs across the NFL could find themselves becoming hors d'oeuvres for the men in the middle of the Baltimore line.
Kindle could become the next dominant linebacker alongside Lewis and Terrell Suggs for the Ravens. He has the speed to rush from the outside and the strength to take on linemen in the middle. Baltimore got a tremendous steal with Kindle in the draft.
The Ravens have the hefty task of trying to beat a season win total of 10 victories this year. Particularly with the Pittsburgh Steelers facing at least four weeks of suspension for QB Ben Roethlisberger, Baltimore could have an open path towards the AFC North crown. The NFL oddsmakers have accounted for this though, as it is a minus 125 odds on favorite on the pro football odds.
Even though the Indianapolis Colts are the prohibitive favorites to win the AFC at plus 400, the Ravens aren't all that far behind at plus 600.
If you are looking to invest in the Ravens to win Super Bowl XLV, you can get a fantastic price on them at plus 1200, which makes them the sixth choice on the board to win it all.
