Baltimore Ravens vs New Orleans Saints: Monday Night Football Week 9 preview, picks, top prop bets, more

The AFC North-leading Ravens head to New Orleans to take on the Saints on Monday Night Football.

Baltimore Ravens (5-3) at New Orleans Saints (3-5)

Game Details:

Location: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA
Time: Monday, November 7th at 8:15 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN

Betting Stats:

MONEYLINE: BAL ML (-130), NO ML (+110)
SPREAD: BAL -2
OVER/UNDER: 47

Preview:

We have to start by talking about the injuries on the Baltimore side because they will play a huge factor in this game. As of Sunday morning, it is looking increasingly like both Mark Andrews and Gus Edwards will miss this showdown against the Saints. Considering Ravens’ wide receiver Rashod Bateman has already been ruled out for the season, not having Andrews is a big hit to this passing game.

Coming into this game, the Ravens are 26^th in the league in passing offense with just 193.8 yards per game through the air, so the losses of Andrews and Bateman will make this passing offense even more anemic. However, Baltimore is 2nd in rushing offense with 165.6 yards per game, which has helped propel them to fifth in the league in scoring offense with 26 points per contest

Lamar Jackson is just 148-of-235 on the season for 1,635 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions; yet, he has been his dynamic self on the ground, leading the team with 75 carries for 553 yards plus two scores. His 9.1 rushing yards per game is the best among quarterbacks and the 15th highest among all players.

Without Gus Edwards, Baltimore will likely also split carries between Kenyan Drake (49 carries, 251 yards, TD), Justice Hill (28 carries, 179 yards).

It might just be enough going up against a Saints defense that, even with their domination of the Raiders last week, ranks 28^th in the league in scoring defense by allowing an average of 25 points a game.

However, Baltimore has its own problems on defense, particularly through the air, allowing 266.8 passing yards per game, which ranks them 28th in the NFL. Although opponents have just 12 passing touchdowns through the air in eight games.

Even without Michael Thomas, who is also likely done for the season, the Saints are 8^th in the NFL in passing offense with 253.1 yards per game. Andy Dalton, who took over the starting job from Jameis Winston, is 105-of-161 for 1,175 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions.

His favorite target is rookie Chris Olave, who leads the team with 37 catches for 547 yards and two scores on the season. However, the Saints have a relatively balanced passing attack that also includes Alvin Kamara (33 grabs, 287 yards, two TD), Tre’Quan Smith (14 catches, 235 yards, TD), and Juwan Johnson (21 receptions, 216 yards, two TD). Plus the potential return of Jarvis Landry on Monday night.

To add to it, the Saints are 8^th in rushing offense with 141.3 yards per game. They are led by Kamara, who has 95 carries for 413 yards plus a touchdown.

Despite their struggles through the air, there are some positive signs for this Baltimore defense. For starters, they are tied for fifth in the NFL with 23 sacks. They also just traded for linebacker Roquan Smith and activated rookie second-rounder David Ojabo as well as Tyus Bowser from the PUP list, so they are getting healthier at the right time.

If they can prevent their fourth-quarter meltdowns, the Ravens could remain one of the top teams in the league. So far, they have been outscored 83-35 in the final quarter. All of the Dolphins, Bills, and Giants rallied to steal wins from the Ravens in their only three losses of the season. Can the Saints make it a fourth?

Picks:

Player Props:

Devin Duvernay Over 43.5 receiving yards

Say hello to Baltimore’s number-one receiver and top passing option on Monday night. Duvernay may not be an elite talent, but this total is so low. He’s averaging 39.1 receiving yards a game and that’s with Andrews healthy and Bateman (sometimes) healthy. He’s hit this prop in 75% of his games, so I think he can do it again on Monday.

SPORTSBOOK: Bet at DraftKings (-135)

Lamar Jackson Over 0.5 interceptions

Lamar Jackson is coming off a rough month of October that saw him get a little careless with the ball at times. Given the fact that he has limited passing options, I think there is a good chance he forces a few passes that he shouldn’t or isn’t on the same page with his receivers at various times in this game. I think a pick is a good bet here.

SPORTSBOOK: Bet at DRAFTKINGS (-115)

Alvin Kamara over 36.5 receiving yards

We covered above that you can beat Baltimore through the air and that Kamara is a big part of this passing attack. The Ravens also get good pressure, which could lead to more dump-offs from Dalton and a solid receiving game from Kamara.

SPORTSBOOK: Bet at DRAFTKINGS (-115)