The first Divisional round game features the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens. If we learned one thing last weekend, it’s that any team can win in the postseason.
Last week, the Texans shut down the Browns and ended the magical run of Joe Flacco.
Houston appeared to be the all-around better team from start to finish. C.J. Stroud proved he could handle the postseason pressure in the playoffs.
While Cleveland was hot, the Ravens are hotter, so Baltimore must bring their energy again to advance to the AFC Championship.
Baltimore has been electric all year and punished nearly every team in its way. The Ravens ended their regular season with a league-best 13-4 record, locking them in as the one seed in the AFC.
Lamar Jackson has never looked better, even in his MVP season. A big reason for this is Jackson’s star-studded weapons at his disposal in the passing game. One of those talents is rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers, the team’s biggest downfield threat.
Flowers has shown this season that he can handle being the primary receiver. If Jackson and Flowers continue to connect this week, Houston’s shaky passing defense will have trouble.
Let’s break down our favorite props for this matchup!
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Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Texans | +360 | +9.5 (-115) | Over 43.5 (-110) |
Ravens | -460 | -9.5 (-105) | Under 43.5 (-110) |
The Ravens have seen success through the air, but they’re still a run-first team at their core. Gus Edwards leads the offense in touchdowns this season with 13. This number also ranks him fifth in the NFL in rushing scores.
While Edwards doesn’t typically accumulate many yards, he is the primary option in goal-line situations. Edwards has a larger build for short-yardage action, allowing him to plow through the defensive line.
Houston’s run defense has been below average, to say the least. In the 2023 regular season, they allowed 19 rushing touchdowns by the opposing team. This number ranks them 26th in the league.
Edwards has scored in three of his last four games. As long as Jackson doesn’t try to do it himself, we should see Edwards get his fair share of opportunities to score his 14th touchdown of the season.
The Texans have had an exceptional turnaround compared to their last few seasons. Yet, the Ravens just have too much offensive firepower to lose this game.
The Ravens average 28.4 points per game while also stacking up a league-leading 156.5 rushing yards per game. When Baltimore can’t get it done on the ground, Jackson has no problem airing it out to his guys. This will lead to points.
The Ravens are also projected to get veteran tight end Mark Andrews back from a knee injury. Andrews has always been a massive part of this offense, and his return will create more scoring chances.
The Texans have a hard time defending running quarterbacks all season, and Jackson is the best dual-threat player in the game. There have been a handful of blowouts already this postseason, and the Ravens have a great chance to do this because of the points they will score.
The Texans found Dalton Schultz in the offseason, which has worked wonders for the team.
Schultz played in 15 of their 17 games, accumulating 59 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns. The season started slow for Schultz, as he didn’t rack up more than 42 yards through his first four games.
After that, Stroud finally started showing him some attention. This led to big games and wins for Houston.
In the last five games, Schultz came alive, catching 20 passes for 180 yards. Given his recent production, this line of 36.5 yards for his receiving total seems a little low.
The Ravens have one of the best units against the pass this season. Opposing teams average 191.9 passing yards per game against the Baltimore defense., which is low. However, Schultz will be a big factor for the Texans as he shouldn’t receive the same attention as Nico Collins, opening him up down the field.
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Who: Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans
Where:l M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore, MD
When: Saturday, January 20th, 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Streaming: NBC Sports App
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