The Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts will face off in Week 1 of the NFL season this afternoon. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The game will broadcast live on CBS.
The Ravens are 3.5-point favorites over the Colts on the spread (Ravens -3.5), with the over/under set at 47.5 total points. Baltimore is a -180 moneyline favorite to win outright, while Indianapolis is listed as a +152 underdog to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Ravens vs Colts predictions and NFL Week 1 picks.
Ravens vs Colts Prediction
- Ravens vs Colts pick: Over 47.5 (-115)
My Ravens vs. Colts best bet is on the total to go over 47.5 points, with the best price currently available at FanDuel. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Ravens vs Colts Odds
| Ravens Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -104 | 47.5 -115o / -105u | -180 |
| Colts Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -118 | 47.5 -115o / -105u | +152 |
Ravens vs Colts NFL Week 1 Preview
Baltimore Ravens Betting Preview: Uptick in Pace & Tempo
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this Ravens team right out of the gates.
For starters, we have a brand new offensive scheme with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle calling the shots, which means we are going to see a lot more of Lamar Jackson under center.
Historically, when you look at the numbers, Jackson has absolutely crushed it under center — he’s basically been the best quarterback in the NFL in those sets. We're also going to see a significant uptick in pace and tempo from Baltimore compared to years past.
The major red flag, however, is the interior of the Ravens' offensive line. It is a huge question mark.
They lost Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, Danny Pinter is hurt, and Ethan Pocic is still recovering from an Achilles. Now you're looking at a journeyman in Jovaughn Gwyn making his first career start at center right next to a rookie guard in Vega Ioane.
That kind of interior vulnerability can ruin a game, but the good news for Baltimore is they are facing a Colts defensive front that doesn't generate a great edge rush, which should mask some of those offensive line growing pains on a fast indoor track.
The Ravens brought in Jesse Minter as head coach, which should provide a schematic defensive bump, but this unit isn't in the elite tier it was a couple of years ago.
Marlon Humphrey looks washed, Roquan Smith is getting up there in age, and most importantly, Justin Madubuike might not play as he deals with a neck issue.
Without his interior pressure, this defense is incredibly vulnerable.
Indianapolis Colts Betting Preview: Bleak Defensive Outlook
The Colts offense looks like it’s going to be healthy, notably getting Daniel Jones back under center.
While there's always a bit of a rust factor when a quarterback doesn't play in the preseason coming off an injury, Colts head coach Shane Steichen is simply one of the best offensive minds in football. He absolutely destroyed Minter’s defense last year, hanging 38 points on them by the end of the third quarter by having them running in circles in the flats.
Steichen has had all offseason to prepare. The Colts are going to push the pace, run a lot of light boxes to get Jonathan Taylor going, and set up the play-action game beautifully. I expect them to move the ball with consistency against a Ravens defense that lacks depth at corner.
On the other side of the ball, the Colts defense is going to be an issue.
Outside of DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart — who are both getting up there in age — there isn't much to write home about. They are relying on complete liabilities at linebacker, trotting out a washed Akeem Davis-Gaither and relying heavily on rookies.
The Colts secondary is just as bleak, featuring a rookie at nickel and potentially another rookie at safety with A.J. Haulcy banged up. It's a defensive unit that's almost completely void of talent on the back two levels.
Ravens vs Colts Prediction, Betting Analysis
I'm taking Over 47.5 here. It’s scary because you have two quarterbacks who didn't take preseason snaps, and the Ravens' interior offensive line could theoretically short-circuit their own drives. But the pace of this game is going to be incredibly fast.
You have two bad defenses going at it on a fast track indoors, and both coaches are going to be aggressive on fourth down.
Steichen is going to go for it constantly in plus-territory, and Minter will likely do the same because the Ravens simply don't have confidence in their kicker, Tyler Loop, right now.
Give me a sneaky shootout in Indy.
Pick: Over 47.5 (-115)
