The Baltimore Ravens are set to host the Minnesota Vikings at M&T Bank Stadium this coming Sunday and have had lots of time to prepare as they had a bye week that came on the back of the thrashing they took at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Vikings, meanwhile, suffered a four-point loss in a game against the red hot Dallas Cowboys. Minnesota lost three of their first four games this season, having beaten the Seattle Seahawks and losing to the Bengals, the previously unbeaten Arizona Cardinals, and the Cleveland Browns. They lost to the Cowboys in Week 8 after beating the Detroit Lions and the Carolina Panthers.
They held a 10-3 lead in the first half of the loss to the Cowboys on the weekend but only managed six points on the other side of halftime. Quarterback Kirk Cousins went for 184 yards with a touchdown while Dalvin Cook posted 78 yards with 18 carries as a rusher. Adam Thielen made six catches to the tune of 78 yards plus a TD.
Meanwhile, the Ravens tasted defeat in their opener against the Vegas Raiders, falling 33-27 in overtime. They responded with five consecutive wins, beating the Kansas City Chiefs, Lions, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, and the Los Angeles Chargers. They were on the wrong end of a 41-17 blowout vs. Cincinnati before their bye week.
Baltimore ended up getting outscored 28-7 in the second half of that loss, with QB Lamar Jackson passing for 257 yards and touchdown. The 24-year-old also led things on the running front, rushing for 88 yards on 12 carries. Marquis Brown went for 80 yards with five catches and a touchdown.
Ravens QB coach James Urban spoke on Jackson’s improvement as a rusher in the player’s fourth professional year.
“I just think it’s a natural progression,” Urban was quoted as saying. Not to discount all the hard work that he’s put in – he has. Not to discount some of the schemes that we’ve put in; I just think it’s a natural progression. He’s in year four in this league, and that’s the progression you need to make. Like I said before, if we’re not changing our game, then people are catching up to us or you’re not getting any better. So, that was an area of his game that we wanted to get improved upon, and that’s what he’s done.”
Folks looking to bet on the upcoming matchup could check out BetMGM bonus codes. It’s also worth considering that the Vikings are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven Week 9 games and 2-7 ATS after a loss in their last nine matches. They’re also 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games overall.
Baltimore is 4-0 ATS in their last four after an ATS loss and 3-1-1 ATS in their last five Week 9 matchups. They’re 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games and 4-1 ATS in their last five games after a loss.
Bettors could be tempted to put their money on the Vikings despite their inconsistency. While results haven’t quite gone their way, Minnesota has been very competitive in all of their games and the team hasn’t lost by more than six points, while their biggest win was by 13 points. They will need to do a much better job on their third down plays, however, as they went 1-13 against the Cowboys on third downs.
The Ravens should be well rested for this one as they have an extra week to prepare. They will also be looking to bounce back from the embarrassing loss suffered against the Bengals.
Additionally, they have had to deal with the shocking news of a player getting shot during the weekend. On Monday, the team announced inside linebacker Malik Harrison suffered a non-life-threatening injury after sustaining a gunshot wound to the thigh on Sunday night.
Police say the 2020 third-round pick was injured by a stray bullet outside a nightclub in Cleveland.
The player returned to the team on Monday after being treated at a hospital near Cleveland.
“I don’t think it’s severe at all,” head coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “I’m optimistic that it’s going to be OK. Happy that he’s OK and very grateful that he’s OK and not hurt worse. Anything can happen. It’s just a tough situation.”
Harrison told police he was at a downtown club on Sunday night before security kicked everyone out after a fight broke out. He said he was outside with a group when they spotted someone with a firearm. Shots were fired, causing people to start running.
The player has since taken to social media to thank the medical staff who took care of him, as well as everyone who reached out with words of support.
“Although today has been very overwhelming, I’m excited to get back on the football field very soon, playing the game I love to play,” he wrote.
