Lamar Jackson Injury Impacts Opening Odds for Ravens vs. Packers in Week 17

The Ravens are underdogs in Week 17.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens' season is on the line in Week 17, and they don't even control their own destiny.

Baltimore has to win out and get some help from the Pittsburgh Steelers to make the postseason, as one loss or a Steelers win will end the team's season.

To make matters worse, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered a back injury on Sunday night in Week 16 and did not return. The Ravens proceeded to blow a 24-13 lead with Tyler Huntley under center, although the backup didn't look too bad in place of Jackson. Instead, Baltimore's defense came up short, and a key fumble by Zay Flowers slammed the door shut on a Ravens comeback.

Jackson shared after the game that he hopes to play in Week 17, but he'll have a quick turnaround with the Ravens set to play the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.

"Yeah, that's the goal," Jackson said when asked if he could play in Week 17. "We're going to do a little [MRI] scan [Monday] and then see what it shows."

While Jackson seems optimistic for Week 17, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh wasn't nearly as positive that his MVP quarterback would suit up against Green Bay.

"I don't know how serious it'll be," Harbaugh said of Jackson's injury. "We'll have to find out over the next couple of days."

Oddsmakers at DraftKings have shifted the Ravens vs. Packers odds in a major way after Baltimore's Week 16 loss, even with Jordan Love (concussion) uncertain for the Packers. Baltimore opened as a 1.5-point favorite prior to Jackson's injury, but it has since shifted to a 2.5-point underdog.

That's a sign that Jackson may be iffy for Week 17, and it also shows that Vegas is losing faith in the Ravens after they fell under .500 with their Week 16 loss. Baltimore has Green Bay and a rematch with the Steelers left on the schedule, but a Steelers win in Week 17 would make that Week 18 matchup irrelevant in the AFC North.

This season, Jackson has missed time with a hamstring injury and has been in and out of practice with lower-body issues. Overall, he's appeared in 12 games, leading the Ravens to a 6-6 mark in his starts. He's completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,311 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The biggest concern with Jackson has been his lack of production on the ground, as he's averaging just 28.3 rushing yards per game and has only 340 total rushing yards this season.

If Jackson sits, there's a chance the odds for this game could shift further in Green Bay's favor in Week 17.

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