Injury issues started derailing the Baltimore Ravens’ 2021 plans before the schedule kicked off and stacked up week after week until the team reached a breaking point in December, when quarterback Lamar Jackson went down.
Baltimore is now healed up and will get back to what it does best: Pounding the ground. That dominating rushing attack fuels so many parts of this football team, including the squad’s performance on defense.
The Ravens are ready to return among the NFL’s defensive elite in 2022, with a twist: New coordinator Mike Macdonald. He’s adding new wrinkles to a stop unit that got stale under the blitz-happy, man-to-man schemes of Wink Martindale.
Baltimore’s NFL odds are calling for a return to glory for John Harbaugh’s crew. We see if it can make good on those projections with our Baltimore Ravens 2022 betting preview.
Baltimore Ravens futures odds
| To win Super Bowl | +1,600 |
| To win conference | +850 |
| To win division | +160 |
| Season Win Total O/U | 10 (Over -125) |
| To Make Playoffs | Yes -180 / No +160 |
Best futures bet: Win AFC North (+160)
The Ravens’ December decline in 2021 delivers them a much lighter schedule than their AFC North counterparts. Baltimore’s standard SOS ranks out 23rd while Cincinnati (3rd), Cleveland (T17th), and Pittsburgh (T12th) not only face a steeper grade but also a tougher run of opposing quarterbacks (Ravens 21st in my QB SOS).
This team has a very advantageous start to 2022, getting some weaker QBs and teams undergoing offensive facelifts in the first seven weeks of action. Its three hardest contests in that span all come at home, hosting Buffalo, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
The backend of the calendar holds a number of winnable games, including Carolina, Jacksonville, Atlanta, and two games with Pittsburgh — which barely beat a busted Baltimore team twice in 2021.
The Ravens’ AFC North futures price ranges, depending on love for the Bengals and Browns, and you can find them anywhere from +120 to +160 to capture the division crown.
Baltimore Ravens betting overview
What will win bets: Rushing game
The ground game is the lifeblood of Baltimore football and the cornerstone of Greg Roman’s playbook. The Ravens’ rushing attack blew two tires before the start of last season with Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins going down, watching this offense drop from 54% and 55% running plays in 2019 and 2020 to just 44% in 2021.
Those RBs are back and ready to roll, along with the always dangerous wheels of dual-threat demigod Lamar Jackson, who dragged a broken 2021 team to sixth in yards per game (third in rushing yards/game) but couldn’t cash in those gains for points all by himself.
While Roman is expanding the playbook and looking for Lamar to grow as a passer, the Ravens’ ability to roll over opponents and dominate the football (always Top 3 in TOP) wears down defenses and leaves opposing offenses with fewer possessions to do any damage.
The 2022 schedule lines up well, if we bank on last season’s stats vs. the run. Outside of matchups with Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Carolina, Baltimore plays 14 other games against run stops ranked outside of the Top 10 in EPA allowed per rush, including eight contests vs. units ranked 22nd or worse in that metric.
What will lose bets: Passing game
Rival stop units have seen the blueprint for slowing down Jackson, and when the Ravens’ rushing attack couldn’t produce, Lamar’s passing stats took a hit in 2021. He was 28th among qualified QBs in on-target throws, ranked out fifth in bad passes, and finished with a career-high 13 interceptions in just 12 games.
The talk of training camp is Jackson’s offseason improvements as well as a passing playbook featuring more play action and snaps from under center. However, just who is catching those throws remains the biggest question in Charm City.
Tight end Mark Andrews is the top target, especially now that Hollywood Brown was traded to Arizona. Baltimore didn’t bring in any additional receiver help, nor did it draft a WR prospect, instead hoping Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay can stretch the field.
Jackson’s shaky passing performances are a big reason why he’s playing out his rookie deal in 2022 and Baltimore did nothing to bolster his progression as a passer, pinching pennies while the WR market soared alongside the inflation of groceries and hotel rooms.
More Covers NFL betting analysis
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Baltimore Ravens game-by-game odds
The Ravens’ lookahead lines have them as betting favorites in a dozen games, with seven of those lines higher than a field goal and four spreads at a touchdown or bigger. Baltimore’s strength of schedule sits 23rd in 2022 and my QB SOS hands down a slate of QBs ranked 21st.
That’s a dramatic shift from last season when Harbaugh’s men faced the No. 2 SOS and a solid lineup of rival passers. Before the infestation of injury bugs tore this team apart, Baltimore picked up wins over the likes of Kansas City, Indianapolis, and the L.A. Chargers. It was 8-3 straight up before the ravaged roster lost the final six games (three by one point, one by two points, and one by three in OT).
The 2022 calendar is cut in half with a Week 9 bye, with a road-heavy start to the year against quality clubs, and a softer home stretch to the season that could keep the Ravens near the top of the conference — if they can survive to see Week 11.
| 1 | @ N.Y. Jets | -7 | 45 |
| 2 | vs. Miami | -4 | 46 |
| 3 | @ New England | -1 | 45.5 |
| 4 | vs. Buffalo | +2 | 50.5 |
| 5 | vs. Cincinnati | -2.5 | 46.5 |
| 6 | @ N.Y. Giants | -4 | 45.5 |
| 7 | vs. Cleveland | OTB | OTB |
| 8 | @ Tampa Bay | +4 | 49.5 |
| 9 | @ New Orleans | -2.5 | 44.5 |
| 10 | BYE | ||
| 11 | vs. Carolina | -7 | 43.5 |
| 12 | @ Jacksonville | -4.5 | 47.5 |
| 13 | vs. Denver | -3 | 48 |
| 14 | @ Pittsburgh | -3 | 42.5 |
| 15 | @ Cleveland | OTB | OTB |
| 16 | vs. Atlanta | -9.5 | 45 |
| 17 | vs. Pittsburgh | -7 | 43 |
| 18 | @ Cincinnati | +2.5 | 43.5 |
Baltimore Ravens pro betting insights
Hitman, professional bettor (@Hitman428)
Baltimore was the most injury ruined team in the last two decades, and it’s easy to project a bounce back when healthy. However, it’ll be based off the run game and defense in my opinion — look for a decrease in pass attempts in comparison to last year, which could give value in prop markets.
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