The NFL is finally back and fans get to enjoy a huge game between two of the top teams in the AFC when the Baltimore Ravens take the trip to face Kansas City Chiefs.
The two teams faced off in the AFC Championship game last season with the Chiefs coming out on top en route to their second consecutive Super Bowl title, but MVP Lamar Jackson will want to get his revenge on Patrick Mahomes and take an early lead in the race for this year’s crown.
We’ll take a look at the two teams and provide you with our best free NFL betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
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Pre-season is usually the time of the season where players are getting back up to match sharpness and getting in shape for the long season ahead, so results are rarely looked at with too much scrutiny.
But that is probably quite a good thing for these two teams, with just one win in six games between both Baltimore and Kansas in the off-season heading into this game against each other in the season opener.
Baltimore fell to a 13-16 defeat in their first pre-season game against the Philadelphia Eagles on August 9th, before claiming a 13-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons in their next game eight days later. They closed out pre-season with an awful performance that saw them lose 30-7 to the Green Bay Packers, where they managed to score points only in the second quarter.
The Chiefs have been more free-scoring than the Ravens in pre-season, but their defense has been wide open as they suffered three straight defeats.
A trip to the Jacksonville Jaguars saw them lose 13-26 at the EverBank Stadium in their opening game, before a close fought game against the Detroit Lions saw them lose 23-24 at home. They then closed out pre-season with a 21-34 defeat to the Chicago Bears, after being blown away 14-0 in the third quarter, despite pulling it back in the final quarter.
Despite going all the way in 2023 to go and win the Super Bowl, their season started with a defeat at home against the Detroit Lions, so this is by no means a banker or a lock.
However, after several significant changes during the off-season at Baltimore they are likely to have a slow start to the season and that should give Kansas a big advantage heading into what could be a historic season for them.
Baltimore will have a new-look offensive line after three starters swapped teams this offseason, and GM Eric DeCosta didn’t do much to help Lamar Jackson besides bringing in aging RB Derrick Henry.
On defense, Patrick Queen, Jadeveon Clowney, and Geno Stone have moved on, as has standout coordinator Mike Macdonald as he took over the head coach role at the Seattle Seahawks. That will see them more open than previously, and against a fired up Mahomes that spells trouble.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have retained most of their core and all of their coordinators, giving them the platform to kick on again this season. They want to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, and the best way to do that is to start the season with a win against a potential championship rival.
The bookmakers have seen the spread fluctuate between 2.5 and 3, so grab it while you can to ensure you aren’t left kicking yourself if they win by a field goal.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
Each of the four regular-season meetings between Jackson and Mahomes featured at least 50 points in the 2023 season, so the over looks like the sensible play on this occasion.
The Chiefs’ offense should be more explosive this season after drafting speedster Xavier Worthy and signing former Ravens WR Marquise Brown, while their defense also may be slightly less formidable without shutdown corner L’Jarius Sneed.
However, as mentioned, Jackson hasn’t been given much help to improve the Ravens’ attack and that may well see their numbers drop off respectively.
Both teams should be able to score 20-plus points, and that makes the over extra appealing. Last season the Ravens averaged 28.41 points per game in the regular season, while the Chiefs averaged 21.82 points per game in the regular season.
If they can match those numbers this should fly in, so back the over and enjoy the action as both teams look to make a fast start.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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