The Baltimore Ravens and the Green Bay Packers meet in week 3 of the NFL Preseason, and both teams have very high expectations heading into their respective regular season openers. The Packers have some work to do and some things to clean up, while the Ravens will decide whether their starters get some reps or not. They kick it off at 1:00 pm.
Bookmaker has installed the Ravens as a slim -1-point favorite with a game total of 34 points.
The Ravens believe they can make some serious noise in the AFC this season, and they will most likely use this final preseason tuneup to clean up some things before they open up the season against the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs to open up the season Thursday, September 5th.
Baltimore had an ugly, low-scoring 13-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons in week 2 of the preseason, and their offense looked sluggish during two games. Franchise QB Lamar Jackson has not played in the preseason but has looked good in practice at this training camp, and it is yet to be seen if he will get any reps against the Packers.
Jackson knows he will have to carry this offense, and this team has to make a deep run into the playoffs. However, they, too, play in a very competitive division, the AFC North. Those teams will battle it out and beat each other up as the season progresses. Jackson is also a heavy MVP favorite heading into the 2024 season.
His odds currently sit at +1200, and that is a strong number to take a flyer on. The Ravens should be able to move the ball against the Packers, even with backups, who looked very sluggish in an ugly 27-2 loss to Denver in preseason week 2 action.
The Packers were a lot of pundit favorites to come out of the NFC this season, and this is after they stunned most of the football world by arriving early last season. They got a breakout season and performance from their franchise QB in Jordan Love, who passed for over 4,100 yards while tossing 32 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions and used his legs as a big-time weapon, too.
Offensively, they should put up some points this season but better do a better job with their defense than we have seen in the preseason. They allowed Denver QB Bo Nix to move the ball quickly and put up some points in an ugly loss. Nix carved them up for a series, passing for 80 yards and a score and going 8-of-9 in the process. Denver also rushed for over 100 yards in the win.
He only played three snaps in their preseason opener and sat out a loss to Denver. But the fans would love to see him out there for a quarter or so and get this offense going against the Ravens. If not, look for the offense to struggle to move the ball again, and the under might be in play here. The game total is a low 34 1/2. The Packers have scored 25 points in two games.
Green Bay has the second-best odds to claim the NFC North. The Detroit Lions are +155, while the Packers are +225. The Packers' win total is 9 1/2, and if they get some easy wins against lesser opponents and, according to projections, go 3-3 in their division, they can win 10 games. The Ravens are a slim favorite to claim the AFC North at + 145, and their win total sits at a high 10 1/2. That might be hard in a very tough division.
