Raven Country

Ravens Early Favorites to Win AFC North

Baltimore projected to have 11 wins.
Todd Karpovich|
Ravens Early Favorites to Win AFC North
Ravens Early Favorites to Win AFC North

The Ravens will capture the AFC North crown with 11 wins, according to Sports Illustrated's Roy Larking.

That means Baltimore will win the division for the third time in four years. The Ravens are expected to finish just ahead of the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. 

"Baltimore won the AFC North the previous two seasons and the Ravens added new weapons on offense for QB Lamar Jackson," Larking wrote. "After finishing last overall, with just 182.4 pass yards per game, Baltimore stocked up on wide receivers during the offseason. Cleveland, one of just four teams that have never played in the Super Bowl, is looking to win AFC North for the first time in franchise history. 

"The Browns’ last regular-season championship was way back in 1989 when they played in the AFC Central Division. The Browns were focused on adding pieces to their defense during the offseason."

Lamar Jackson is entering his fourth season as the Ravens quarterback after winning the league MVP in the 2019 season. Baltimore has made the playoffs in each of the past three years and has led the league in rushing for the past two seasons.

Baltimore boosted its passing attack with the addition of veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins and a couple of selections in this year's draft — Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace.

Defensively, the Ravens are expected to be stout, which means a division title should be within their grasp. 

"Pittsburgh being listed as third favorites, with a generous money line price, looks like it may be a trap," Larking wrote. "The Steelers have a huge nationwide fan base and “public bettors” wager on them heavily throughout the season. Cincinnati is hoping second-year QB Joe Burrow returns to full health after he suffered a season-ending knee injury during Week 11 last year. The Bengals division-wining price is the second-highest behind the Texans’ +2700 odds to win the AFC South. 

"While tempted to take the bait, and bet on Pittsburgh, I will take the plus moneyline and back Baltimore as AFC North champs."

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Todd Karpovich
TODD KARPOVICH

Twitter: @toddkarpovich Email: todd.karpovich@gmail.com Skype: todd.karpovich Todd Karpovich has been a contributor for ESPN, Forbes, the Associated Press, Lindy's, and The Baltimore Sun, among other media outlets nationwide. He is the co-author of “If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Baltimore Ravens Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box,” “Skipper Supreme: Buck Showalter and the Baltimore Orioles,” and the author of “Manchester United (Europe's Best Soccer Clubs).” Karpovich, a Baltimore native, is a graduate of Calvert Hall College high school, Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, and has a Masters of Science from Towson University. 

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