Maybe there\u2019s just something about Baltimore that makes people divisive. After more than a decade of talking heads and fans alike debating whether Joe Flacco is elite, there is a similar debate occurring with Lamar Jackson. Jackson went 6-1 as a starter and posted passing numbers close to what we saw from Flacco after taking over for him last season. That has led to an offseason of questions regarding Jackson and his prowess as the Ravens\u2019 quarterback, and he will look to answer them this year. Baltimore will kick off its season by heading south to take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ravens are the biggest road favorites in Week 1 per the NFL betting odds<\/a>. It\u2019s no longer an open secret that Miami is tanking the season in hopes of landing a star quarterback in 2020 or 2021, and the Dolphins are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This line has moved considerably since Miami dealt OT Laremy Tunsil and WR Kenny Stills to Houston over Labor Day Weekend. Baltimore opened at -4 on the NFL betting line<\/a>, and the Ravens shot all the way up to -7 following the news. It met resistance at that key number though, dropping to where it now sits at 6.5. The total has moved from an opening number of 37 to 38.5 as of Thursday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ravens placed CB Iman Marshall on injured reserve on Monday, so he will be unavailable this year. That move hurts as Baltimore\u2019s secondary is already a question mark following Eric Weddle\u2019s departure in free agency and CB Brandon Carr is questionable to play too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miami has eight players that are considered questionable on this week\u2019s injury report. Most of those players are on defense as DE Trent Harris, DT John Jenkins, LBs Quentin Poling and Andrew Van Ginkel, and CBs Bobby McCain and Johnson Bademosi might not play on Sunday. On offense, G Danny Isidora and WR Albert Wilson are questionable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The big question for Baltimore this season is how much the team plans on using Lamar Jackson as a runner. Jackson is the best running quarterback the league has seen since Michael Vick was making highlight reel plays each game with the Atlanta Falcons, but with running comes risk. Each time Jackson takes off, John Harbaugh will have a lump in his throat hoping that his quarterback doesn\u2019t wind up injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harbaugh has stated that he will incorporate Jackson\u2019s mobility into Baltimore\u2019s offensive scheme, but we don\u2019t know what that will look like just yet. Jackson took off 147 times last year, and he ran the ball at least 10 times in all seven of his regular season games as the starter. He only averaged 4.7 yards per run though as teams keyed on him and would try to bait him into running as the season progressed. Keep that in mind when betting NFL Player Props<\/a> this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ravens might be the most run-heavy team in the league by the end of the year. Baltimore signed Mark Ingram and drafted Justice Hill to pair with Gus Edwards in the backfield, and all three Ravens\u2019 quarterbacks are known more for their running than their passing. Expect Miami to sell out to stop the run and try to force Jackson to beat its secondary through the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whew, boy. This has the potential to be the worst offense in the NFL. Ryan Fitzpatrick is now starting for his eighth different team, and that is not a recipe for success. Although everyone loves Fitzpatrick for his quirky personality, he does not have a winning record with any of his seven previous teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is an alarming dearth of talent at the skill positions. Kalen Ballage and Kenyan Drake are both decent running backs at best, and DeVante Parker is the only somewhat proven commodity at receiver. Stills was the most productive receiver last season with 37 receptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not one of the great Ravens\u2019 defenses of the past though. Baltimore enters the season with plenty of questions to answer on that side of the ball. Weddle, Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, and Za\u2019Darius Smith all departed in the offseason, and the biggest acquisition was Earl Thomas. Miami isn\u2019t likely to test them, but other offenses should have more success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the only game in Week 1 with a total under 40 per the NFL betting odds<\/a>. It should be a very low-scoring game, but a lot of that has to do with offensive ineptitude rather than defensive prowess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not going to be a popular pick, but there is some value on the home underdog in this situation. Everyone is already writing Miami off, and while the Dolphins are unlikely to win, they should be able to keep it within the number in a low-scoring affair. <\/p>\n\n\n\nINJURY REPORT<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
WHEN BALTIMORE IS ON OFFENSE<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
WHEN MIAMI IS ON OFFENSE<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
PREDICTION<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n