Ravens vs Jets Week 1 Picks and Predictions: Lamar and Co. Bully New York in the Trenches

Nothing hits quite like that first Sunday of a brand new NFL season, and the Baltimore Ravens' trip to face the New York Jets at MetLife is one of the most interesting games on the early slate. There was hope that this was a new start for New York after a brilliant draft, but the injury to Zach Wilson has always curtailed that early enthusiasm.

Find out how much that injury will affect the outcome in our free NFL betting picks and predictions for the Ravens vs. Jets. 

Ravens vs Jets best odds

Ravens vs Jets picks and predictions

Sunday’s clash between the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets is all about the quarterbacks.

The hosts will have Joe Flacco under center following the injury to Zach Wilson, who is out until at least Week 4. That gives Flacco a chance for a reunion with the team that he led to a Super Bowl, and a matchup against his former understudy, Lamar Jackson.

For the Ravens, it’s all about Jackson, and stories around a potential new contract have overshadowed the past couple of months. The deadline set by Jackson to sort out his new deal will have expired by the time this game kicks off, which leaves him in a tricky situation.

There have been some questions on how he’ll deal with not getting a new contract, but everything points to him continuing to play at the high standard of the past few seasons.

Last year was exceptionally tough for both him and Baltimore, with the team hit by a mind-boggling amount of injuries that ultimately left it in a position where it couldn’t compete with the league's best. The team looks healthier this season, and if that offensive line is ready to rumble and has a motivated Lamar Jackson to protect, then the sky is the limit.

2021 was the first year since his rookie season when Lamar didn’t top 1,000 rushing yards, but he missed five games. That meant his average worked out at 63 yards per game, slightly ahead of his line for this game which sits at 59.5.

There’s an argument that we’ll see a stronger Jets defense this year, but this is a team who was 29th in the NFL when it came to rushing yards allowed per game last season — which doesn’t bode well when Jackson is in town.

There’s a lot of noise around the former Louisville QB, but we can expect him to rise above it this Sunday and show the NFL why his unique skillset makes him one of the most dangerous players in the league.

My best bet: Lamar Jackson Over 59.5 rushing yards (-110 at bet365)

Ravens vs Jets betting preview

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•Spread analysis •Over/Under analysis •Game info •Injuries •Weather •Trend to know

Spread analysis

I’ve already touched upon the problems that the Ravens had with injuries last year, which makes the eight wins they achieved even more impressive — especially in what was a competitive division. Last season we didn’t see a vintage Ravens defense, but that’ll be improved this year, which makes their healthy offense even more terrifying for teams.

The biggest question mark on offense has to be the depth of wide receivers with Marquise Brown leaving for Arizona. That means Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay really need to step up and show why the team didn’t bring in more experienced veterans to join them.

Although we’re yet to see a leap from Zach Wilson, it feels like this team is considerably weaker with Flacco at the helm — but his steady leadership could help Elijah Moore perform well. Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall — two highly touted rookies — are listed as starters on the depth chart, but I’d expect to see plenty of Braxton Berrios and Jeff Smith at WR with Michael Carter at RB given how good he was last year.

The Ravens are 7-point favorites for this, having risen from 4.5 after the news of the Wilson injury. That still looks like good value to me and I’d be taking them even with the hit of the points. Just as Jim Harbaugh has a brilliant preseason record, he also knows how to get his team ready for Week 1, with the Baltimore going 5-1 against the spread in its past six season openers.

Over/Under analysis

News of the Wilson injury also impacted the points total, with the line dropping from 45 to 44. I’ve personally not got a strong lean but given that the Jets allowed 504 points against them last year — a league high — I’d consider taking the Over.

The Under is 5-0 in the Ravens' past five games as favorites, but you have to remember that a lot of those games featured a team who were struggling with injuries and not at the best. You’d like to think that their ability to score points should increase this season with a cleaner bill of health.

The Over is 6-2 in the Jets' past eight games at MetLife and this game has the potential to be high scoring, and for that reason it probably makes the most sense to consider taking Over 44 points here.

Ravens vs Jets game info

• Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• Date: Sunday, September 11, 2022
• Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS

Ravens vs Jets key injuries

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Ravens vs Jets weather

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Ravens vs Jets betting trend to know

The Ravens are 5-1 ATS in their last six Week 1 games. Find more NFL betting trends for Ravens vs. Jets.

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