Ravens vs. Bills Score Prediction for NFL Week 8 (Does Baltimore Cover With Lamar Jackson Back?)

Sunday’s NFL action features a bunch of big games, but there may not be one bigger than the Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills showdown at 1 p.m. EST.

Both of these teams are considered Super Bowl contenders in the latest odds at the best betting sites, and they feature two of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Lamar Jackson (ankle) has not played since the first half of Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans, but he is expected to return on Sunday in what has suddenly become a huge game for the Ravens. Baltimore is 4-3 this season after going 1-2 in the games Jackson missed, and it’s in last place in the AFC North with every team in the division over .500. The Ravens dropped back-to-back key division games against Cleveland and Cincinnati without the two-time league MVP.

Josh Allen – the MVP favorite this season – and the Bills are coming out of their bye week to play in this game, and they’re favored at home after a 5-1 start. Buffalo is looking to get the top spot in the AFC, and it benefitted from a Kansas City Chiefs loss (now 5-1 as well) during Week 7.

Sunday’s game is the eighth meeting between Jackson and Allen all-time, with the Ravens holding a 3-2 edge in the regular season while Allen has won both of his playoff matchups against Jackson.

Who has the edge in this regular-season clash?

All season long, the SI Betting team has been predicting the final score of NFL games, and this one is no different. Using the latest odds and analysis from our team, here’s my score prediction for Sunday’s marquee matchup in Week 8.

Ravens vs. Bills Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Ravens +3 (+100)
Bills -3 (-120)

Moneyline

Ravens: +145
Bills: -175

Total

54.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

The odds for this game are moving in the Ravens’ favor, as Buffalo opened as a 3.5-point favorite with Jackson’s status still up in the air. The star quarterback reportedly is in line to play on Sunday, and he’s now practiced in back-to-back weeks despite dealing with an ankle injury. He certainly gives the Ravens’ offense a higher ceiling than backup Tyler Huntley.

Ravens vs. Bills Score Prediction

Each week, SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan shares his favorite bet for every game in his Road to 272 column. He’s taking the Ravens to cover with Jackson expected back in the lineup:

Betting on this game hinges on whether or not Lamar Jackson is going to be able to suit up for the Ravens. Unfortunately, I place my bets early in the week, so I don't have the benefit of knowing whether or not the two-time MVP will be on the field on Sunday. The betting line indicates that he will, so I'm going to trust that, along with the reports that Jesse Minter is optimistic that Jackson will be ready to go.

When a team only has one loss on their schedule, and they have the best quarterback in football on their roster, a lot of their issues are overlooked. That's the case for the Bills, whose defense has been horrendous this season, ranking 30th in both opponent EPA per play and opponent success rate. They are the only defense in football that ranks in the bottom three in both of those metrics.

I hesitate to lay more than a field goal on any team with that bad of a defense, especially when that defense potentially has to face another MVP candidate at quarterback.

I'll take the points with Baltimore on Sunday.

The last two meetings between Allen and Jackson have been decided by two points (their playoff game in the 2024 season) and one point (their matchup in the 2025 regular season).

Buffalo’s defense is last in the NFL in EPA/Play and 30th in success rate, so this could be a get-right game for Jackson and Co. if he’s able to play at his full capabilities. It’s hard to put too much stock into the Ravens last three games without him, though their defense is now 13th in yards per play allowed and 15th in success rate. That’s not terrible, especially since Joe Burrow torched this team in the second half.

I expect a high-scoring affair on Sunday, and it wouldn’t shock me if this came down to a final field goal.

Score Prediction: Bills 34, Ravens 31

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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