Ravens vs Commanders Preseason Picks and Predictions: Baltimore's Preseason Dominance Continues

The legend of Baltimore's preseason success continues to grow, with the Ravens winning 24 straight. Baltimore has one QB spot left up for grabs, and our NFL betting picks believe Josh Johnson will come out strong against the Commanders.

Jeremy Jones - Betting Analyst at Covers
Jeremy Jones • Betting Analyst
Aug 21, 2023 • 15:08 ET • 4 min read
Josh Johnson Baltimore Ravens NFL
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders will be the lone teams in action Monday night when they kick off their second preseason game of 2023 at FedEx Field in Summerfield, MD. 

Baltimore will be looking to continue its record streak of 24 consecutive preseason wins, and while Washington has just named its starting quarterback for Week 1 of the NFL season, it still be motivated to end the streak. 

I've analyzed the NFL odds to give my best NFL picks and predictions for the Ravens vs. Commanders below. 

Ravens vs Commanders odds

Ravens vs Commanders predictions

The Baltimore Ravens have already announced their quarterback plan for this game, which does not feature either Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley. This means Josh Johnson and Anthony Brown will each get a half as they battle for the final roster spot at QB. There is also a battle for the final RB spot. 

With J.K. Dobbins back off the PUP list, the deep RB room in Baltimore just became much more urgent to find who will fill the final spots. Dobbins and Gus Edwards are locks to be the top two, and Justice Hill is almost guaranteed the third spot. Melvin Gordon and Keaton Mitchell will likely get most of the work in this game to help determine that battle. 

It is very clear that John Harbaugh is not putting the streak in the forefront of his thinking, but neither are the Washington Commanders. Washington offensive lineman Sam Cosmi was quoted as saying, “I think it's a stupid record! Who gives a s*** about preseason games?” Ron Rivera is not taking any chances with some banged up guys just to end the streak. 

Tight end Logan Thomas, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, right tackle Andrew Wylie, defensive end Chase Young, defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis, and cornerback Danny Johnson are all unlikely to play with minor injuries, but should be fine for Week 1. With Sam Howell being officially named the Week 1 starter at QB, it is unlikely we will see much of him on Monday night. This will leave Jacoby Brissett and Jake Fromm to split the game. 

Both Brissett and Fromm struggled last week against the Cleveland Browns. Brissett was 6 of 10, passing for 75 yards and an interception, while Fromm was 5-for-7 passing for 26 yards and an interception. This could be a problem given the lack of depth the Commanders will have on the defensive side. Meanwhile, Josh Johnson played great last week going 8 of 12 passing for 45 yards and a touchdown in his limited action. 

I really like Johnson to get things started off hot for the Ravens on Monday night as he could be playing with several of the first-teamers on offense against the mostly second unit on defense for Washington. Give me their first half moneyline as my best bet.

My best bet: Ravens first half ML (+108 at DraftKings)

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Ravens vs Commanders spread and Over/Under analysis

Depth will obviously be a problem for the Commanders in the second half on defense, but Anthony Brown did not show much last week in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He led four drives that totaled 32 yards and a field goal, but also included a pick six for the Eagles. 

Brown was able to hold the lead last week thanks to the great play from Huntley in the third quarter. However, he may not have as much of a lead this time and will need to play an entire half and not just a few drives. It is risky to take the Ravens full game spread and will depend on how much of an early lead they can build.

The total could be a nice play here for the full game. It is currently sitting at 37.5 and the Commanders defensive depth could come into play here. Washington allowed 13 second half points last week to the Browns and Baltimore scored 10 second half points against the Eagles.

The Over seems like a solid play with some late scoring likely here. Both teams could easily score double digits in the second half, which would mean that only a touchdown-less first half would prevent the Over from hitting. 

Ravens vs Commanders betting trend to know

The Ravens have won 24 consecutive preseason games straight up. Find more NFL betting trends for Ravens vs. Commanders.

Ravens vs Commanders game info

Location: FedEx Field, Washington, DC
Date: Monday, August 21, 2023
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: NFL Network
Opening odds: Commanders +1.5, 38.5

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Jeremy Jones - Covers
Betting Analyst

Jeremy Jones was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky and has been a massive Wildcats fans since the moment he came into the world. He wrote his first sports article at the tender age of 11 after attending a local AHL hockey game, and a few years later was writing professionally for sites such as Sports Rants, BetAmerica, and TwinSpires.

Jeremy holds a Masters in Sports Administration from Eastern Kentucky University and utilizes all seven betting options available in Kentucky to shop for odds and promos and find the greatest EV in every wager he places.

His best piece of sports betting advice is to stick to consistent unit sizes for every wager. He acknowledges there will occasionally be a bet that has a huge EV and you can play multiple units in one bet, but cautions against raising your unit size, because you can quickly lose all your winnings if you hit a minor cold streak.

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