The New Orleans Saints got a much-needed win last week stopping a slide that saw them lose five of their previous six contests. And they got it with an unexpected defensive gem. The Saints allowed at least 30 points in each of their previous three games and entered their Week 8 matchup with Raiders conceding nearly 29 points per game.
So of course they shutout the Raiders 24-0 for their third payout in five games. The Ravens have their first winning streak of the season taking down Tampa Bay as a slight dog last week for their second straight triumph. Baltimore sits as a 2.5-point favorite on the NFL betting line.
The Week 9 Monday Night Football contest between the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA at 8:15 p.m. ET on November 7, 2022 and will be televised on ESPN.
Ravens vs Saints Odds
Baltimore Ravens -2.5 ( -140 )
New Orleans Saints +2.5 ( +120 )
Over/Under 48
Odds Analysis
The spread and total have come down a bit since hitting the board. The Ravens opened -3.5 with early betting bringing that number across a key number to -2.5. Playing at home following a huge win over another AFC opponent has some appeal for the Saints, but they are just 3-5 SU and ATS. Their success has come inside the Superdome with last week’s 24-0 shutout of Las Vegas and a 39-32 Week 5 win over NFC West leading Seattle. Winning for the third time in four road games last week in Tampa, the Ravens ended an 0-3-1 ATS run improving to 5-3 SU and 3-4-1 ATS. The total fell a point with positive news on defense for both teams.
Baltimore Ravens
The good news for the Ravens is the acquisition of former Bears first-round draft pick Roquan Smith. Typically good on that side of the football, it’s been an atypical season for the Baltimore defense. They rank in the bottom third surrendering an average of 23 points and 364.3 yards and the offense has struggled to cover the flaws. At least they’ve put the late game meltdowns behind them so that no longer appears to be an issue. However, it’s still fresh enough to talk about. In their three losses the Ravens squandered double-digit second half leads with all three setbacks by six points or less. Consecutive wins has taken some of the edge off, though.
Following their Week 8 Thursday night win over Tampa the Ravens get a few extra days of rest. They are hoping Gus Edwards and Mark Andrews can return after leaving early with injuries. The outlook isn’t good for Rashod Bateman, though. One of the top receivers, Bateman is expected to miss a few weeks. At least the Ravens can run the football, something they’ve done well with Lamar Jackson at the helm. The club amassed 231 yards on the ground against the Bucs and totaled 453 yards for the game fending off a late Bucs challenge.
New Orleans Saints
I’m not sure anyone had the Saints pitching a shutout last week. And it’s not like there were signs this team could do it. They surrendered at least 20 points in each of their first seven games with the OVER 5-2. The Saints allowed a season-high point total in their 42-34 loss to Arizona in Week 7, though two Cards’ scores came on pick-sixes. Even with the shutout the Saints rank near the bottom allowing an average of 25 points. And they face a much different quarterback this week. The defense was able to contain Derek Carr holding him to 101 yards passing. The Saints recorded three sacks and a pick before Jarrett Stidham mopped up in the fourth quarter.
Stopping the run is paramount to the Saints success in this matchup. They effectively handled Josh Jacobs limiting him to 43 yards and the Raiders to 38 yards on 13 carries. Las Vegas didn’t even cross midfield until the fourth quarter. It was about as dominant a defensive performance as you’re going to see. Just don’t expect to see it again. The Saints will need to be efficient on offense, which they were against the Raiders. A week after throwing three interceptions, with two TD passes to the other team, Andy Dalton was 22 of 30 for 229 yards with two scores and zero picks against Vegas.
Ravens vs Saints Prediction
The Saints have had success at home over the years, and being in the thick of the NFC South race with a losing record makes the remainder of the home schedule more important. The Ravens are scary with Jackson and should be better defensively with the addition of Smith, however New Orleans is riding high after a big win and with Alvin Kamara more involved they should do enough to earn a payout.
Prediction: New Orleans Saints +2.5 and UNDER 48
