The Baltimore Ravens (1-0) and Minnesota Vikings (1-0) will face off in NFL Preseason Week 2. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. The game will broadcast live on ESPN App.
The Vikings are favored by -3.5 with the over/under set at 36.5 total points. Minnesota is a -166 favorite to win outright, while Baltimore is +140 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Ravens vs Vikings predictions and NFL picks for Saturday, August 22.
Ravens vs Vikings Prediction
- Ravens vs Vikings pick: Vikings -3.5
My Ravens vs Vikings best bet is on Minnesota to cover, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Ravens vs Vikings Odds
| Ravens Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -115 | 36.5 -115o / -105u | +140 |
| Vikings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -105 | 36.5 -115o / -105u | -166 |
Ravens vs Vikings NFL Preseason Preview
Baltimore Ravens Betting Preview
The Ravens got an easy win over the Eagles in the first week of preseason, made even more impressive by the fact that they didn’t play many key starters, including Lamar Jackson. Not only that, but backup quarterback Tyler Huntley threw only seven passes, with rookie Joe Fagnano taking the bulk of the snaps.
We haven’t had official word on how the Ravens will line up, but head coach Jesse Minter did say that he expects the same players to get action here, so it’s safe to assume that we won’t see Jackson and a strong chance that Austin Reed might see an increase in time, with Huntley potentially seeing less.
One thing to keep an eye on is Declan Doyle, the team’s offensive coordinator moving from the booth down to the sidelines this week. It's something that could have an impact, especially given how smooth they looked last week.
Rookie wideout duo Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt both had moments during that last outing and fans, as well as fantasy football managers, will be monitoring both closely.
RB Adam Randall looked good against the Eagles, scoring and breaking tackle after tackle. Another strong performance here and he could start eating into Derrick Henry’s snaps when the real action begins.
Minnesota Vikings Betting Preview
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has made our lives easier and confirmed that Kyler Murray won’t start — the former Cardinal has gotten a lot of time on the field during joint practice with the Ravens.
That means JJ McCarthy is getting the start for the Vikes, then Carson Wentz. McCarthy didn’t excel last week, only completing 4-of-7 pass attempts and taking a sack, but it would make sense for him to get a bit more work here.
The Vikings welcomed Randy Moss to training camp and WR team meetings as a guest this past week, and he’d have been very impressed with sophomore wideout Myles Price.
The former Indiana man looks to be carving a role out beyond just being a return specialist and the team has huge hopes for him. He scored last week and caught all four of his targets for 51 yards.
After solid practice performances against the Ravens, we could see more of that on Saturday night.
Ravens vs Vikings Prediction, Betting Analysis
Normally I look at these preseason games through the lens of the quarterbacks, but both the Ravens and Vikings are resting their starters, meaning that it comes down to the backups.
McCarthy has shown that he’s not NFL starter material right now but he still has the tools to become one, while Wentz is a player with huge experience. That gives the edge to the Vikings, even though Fagnano looked good for the Ravens against the Eagles.
What really elevates the chances for the Vikings here are the reports we’ve heard from those joint scrimmages, with the Vikes’ defense, including the second stringers, causing real problems for the Ravens.
The Ravens are very cautious with their starters and are playing exclusively second-string guys here, and even some of those players are on limited snap counts. With that in mind, I'm on the Vikings to cover.
