Saturday sees the Commanders travelling to M&T Bank Stadium to face a Ravens team who knows all about winning in the preseason.
It’s so well-known now that it’s almost become a cliché but John Harbaugh knows what it takes to win and takes a no-nonsense approach to every game, from preseason through to the Super Bowl.
For this game, you need to read our NFL picks and predictions for the Washington Commanders vs. Baltimore Ravens.
Commanders vs Ravens odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
We haven’t seen a huge amount of movement on the lines here. The Ravens have remained 6.5-point favorites throughout but the points total has dropped marginally from 40 to 39.5.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full NFL odds before placing your bets.
Commanders vs Ravens predictions
Predictions made on 8/26/2022 at 7:20 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2022 NFL season, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) Place a bet of $50 or more in the Super Bowl LVII outright market and get a free $5 bet for each game your team wins during the regular season at FanDuel! Claim Now
B) New users can get two risk-free bets up to $2,000 at PointsBet! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of NFL promo codes for 2022.
Commanders vs Ravens game info
• Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
• Date: Saturday, August 27, 2022
• Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: DAZN
Commanders at Ravens betting preview
Weather
Monitor gametime conditions with our live NFL weather info and learn how weather impacts NFL betting.
Key injuries
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
John Harbaugh is 42-12 as an NFL head coach. Find more NFL betting trends for Commanders vs. Ravens.
Commanders vs Ravens picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
On Saturday, we see two of the NFL’s most experienced coaches meet with the Washington Commanders traveling to Baltimore to face the Ravens in their third and final games of the preseason.
Rivera’s Commanders are 0-2 through two preseason games, having lost 24-14 last week to the Chiefs and a narrow loss to the Panthers before that. Rivera has generally had a good record in preseason and currently sits on a 21-20 record. As good as that record is through a long career in the NFL, it’s nothing compared to that of John Harbaugh’s 42-12 preseason record of 42-12.
As always with preseason, the biggest question when debating what to bet on is who is starting. That’s where things get confusing here. Rivera announced on Wednesday that the starters will be “very limited” in this game. Reading between the lines, you’d assume that means perhaps a quarter, if that.
Harbaugh has yet to make any announcement regarding who we’ll see in this third and final game or for how long. That said, it’s probably safe to say we won’t see Lamar Jackson, with the former Louisville man yet to play a snap in this preseason.
That shouldn’t matter with Tyler Huntley, one of the better backups in the NFL and somebody who knows this system perfectly. The Ravens also have Anthony Brown as a third-stringer and he’s really popped in the preseason so far, despite having struggled in his final year in college with the Oregon Ducks.
We know all about how brilliant the Ravens are in preseason, without a loss since 2015. They’ve been great this preseason and beat the Titans by 13 points last week. In that game, we saw Tyler Huntley go 16-of-18 for 109 yards and a touchdown, adding another 17 yards with three rushing attempts.
Anthony Brown didn’t do much worse with his chances, and there’s a real feeling that the backups in Baltimore have been taught the playbook perfectly and can easily step in when Jackson is out without a huge drop-off in quality or the team having to play a different style of football.
Confident victories over the Cardinals and Titans are a far cry from what we’ve seen from the Commanders in their two losses this preseason. The Ravens are 6-point favorites with good reason, and it’s hard to see them not winning this game on their home turf.
This is a seriously talented roster, well-schooled in every aspect of the game, and coached by a man who doesn’t accept second-best, even when it’s preseason. Not only will they win, but it’s very likely that they’ll cover the spread in the process.
Prediction: Ravens -6.0 (-110 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
The total has stuck at 39.5 since opening, and with that total, we have to take the Under.
One thing that is never in doubt with the Ravens is the defense's intensity, which applies whether it’s preseason or the Super Bowl. They’ve given up just 27 points through the past two games against far better offenses than that of the Commanders.
The visitors are unlikely to score two touchdowns on this Ravens team. In the past two games, the Ravens have scored 23 and 24 points, if they do similar this week, then there’s no reason to think that the Commanders can score enough for the total to go Over here, so grab that Under while you can.
Prediction: Under 39.5 (-110 at bet365)
Best bet
This feels like an easy pick, but with Harbaugh’s exceptional record in preseason, it’s hard to consider any other result besides a Ravens win. The question then becomes whether or not they’ll cover the spread.
With the Commanders missing their best defensive piece, Chase Young, through injury and unlikely to give much time to their starters, you have to think that the Ravens should cover.
The greatest achievement of this Ravens team is that they’ve created a system and a style which gets positive results, regardless of the personnel. Whether it’s Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley, they know how they’re going to play, and the second-string are as hungry and ready to compete as the starters.
For that reason, we’re taking the Ravens to cover the spread.
Pick: Ravens -6.0 (-110 at bet365)
