Upset Alert? Baltimore Ravens Listed as Touchdown Favorite vs. Los Angeles Rams
The Baltimore Ravens return from their bye week still sit atop the AFC at 9-3 and find themselves set for a tough matchup with the Los Angeles Rams team that is only considered a 7.5-point underdog, per SI Sportsbook, despite their 6-6 record. So why is this line so close?
Well, similar to the Ravens, the Rams are currently on a winning streak, having won three of their last six, all in a row, pushing themselves back into playoff contention after a promising 2-2 start to the season saw them drop four of their next five games.
It is no coincidence that the return of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford from the right thumb injury that he suffered in their Week 8 loss to the Dallas Cowboys has seen them get back to their winning ways.
Since his injury, Stafford has been at the center of the Rams' success, completing 63 percent of his passes for 698 yards with eight touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Although Stafford isn't the only one whose return from injury has immediately boosted the Rams' play, as running back Kyren Williams has had a similar effect. Since missing four games with an ankle injury, the former Notre Dame back has rushed for 231 yards in his last two games, spotlighting a run game that has been much improved from years past.
Nov 25, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) is pursued by Los Angeles Rams defensive end Dante Fowler (56) in the third quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Ravens defeated the Rams 45-6.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
"The Rams, we've been studying those guys really pretty much last week as well and they won three in a row – They're coming on. [Rams head coach] Sean [McVay] has done a really good job with their team, ..." Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the Rams. "They're young [and] built around two superstar players, one on offense [and] one on defense, you know who they are. Then a number of young guys, rookies, [who] are playing well for them. [They have] playmakers [and are a] very physical team [that] play super hard on defense."
One of those young standouts has been rookie receiver Puka Nacua, has taken the league by storm since emerging as their top option during Cooper Kupp's absence in the first four games. Nacua, the former fifth-round pick out of BYU, leads the team in receiving with 1,029 yards and four touchdowns on 77 receptions in 12 games, giving the Rams offense a dynamic duo at receiver.
As for their defense, which, despite undergoing a big overhaul in the offseason as they offloaded veteran players like linebacker Bobby Wagner and star cornerback Jalen Ramsey in an attempt to "remodel" their roster, has remained competitive despite a lot of youth surrounding defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
The Rams' defense ranks No. 14 in points allowed, No. 16 in yards allowed, and No. 19 in third-down conversion rate per game.
All of this makes for a potentially challenging test for a Ravens team, which is one of the hottest teams in the league.
The Ravens will host the Rams inside M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
