Colts vs. Ravens Final Score Prediction for NFL Preseason Week 1

Iain MacMillan | Aug 7, 2025

Anthony Richardson will start for the Colts on Thursday night. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Week 1 of the NFL Preseason is set to begin on Thursday night with a three-game slate. The first of three games is an AFC showdown between the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens.

The story of the game is the quarterback duel for the Colts. Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones are in the midst of a preseason battle for the Week 1 starting gig. Colts head coach Shane Steichen has announced that Richardson will play the majority of tonight's game, and then Jones will play the majority of their second preseason game next week.

Let's take a look at the odds for tonight's exhibition matchup, and then I'll not only pick the winner, but I'll predict the final score.

Colts vs. Ravens Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• Colts -6.5 (-110)
• Ravens +6.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Colts -280
• Ravens +230

Total

• OVER 36.5 (-105)
• UNDER 36.5 (-115)

Colts vs. Ravens Final Score Prediction

The Ravens in the preseason were an auto-bet for a long period of time. John Harbaugh has historically coached to win in exhibition games and, as a result, has the best against-the-spread record in the preseason amongst all NFL head coaches. Unfortunately, that has changed of late with the Ravens going 1-2 straight up and 0-3 against the spread in the preseason last year.

Not only has Harbaugh potentially changed how he coached in preseason games, but the betting market has caught up to his history and now the Ravens are continuously the most overvalued team only a weekly basis during the preseason.

With that in mind, I'm going to lay the points with the Colts. Not only are the Ravens overvalued due to their strong preseason history, but the Colts plan on playing arguably their best quarterback, Richardson, as they evaluate who they want to take the first snap for them in the regular season. That should give them the edge against a Baltimore team that plans on benching their starters.

I'm also going to predict that this game goes UNDER the set total. The Ravens have one of the best and deepest defenses in the NFL, while their offense won't be the same with Lamar Jackson on the bench.

Final score prediction: Colts 20, Ravens 9

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