Baltimore Ravens fans can exhale. After a long and grueling negotiation process, Lamar Jackson and the front office finally agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep the former MVP under center for the foreseeable future. Now, the sole focus shifts to the football field and competing for a championship next season. With Jackson back in the fold, let’s get into 3 Ravens betting predictions you should consider for futures betting. Readers can use OddsShopper tools to find all the best value for NFL offseason bets!
Ravens Futures & Betting Predictions For 2023 NFL Season
Lamar Jackson Not Quite An MVP Front-Runner
Lamar Jackson (+1200 at DraftKings Sportsbook) would figure to be a high-value MVP bet. After all, he is a former winner and has the ability to dominate any football game. But it is hard to imagine to dual-threat competing with the likes of Patrick Mahomes (+700), Joe Burrow (+750), Josh Allen (+800) and Jalen Hurts (+900).
The main knock on Jackson when looking at the MVP futures market is his availability. The QB puts his body on the line often when using his legs to extend plays. He has played in 12 games in back-to-back seasons, making it hard to finish with the needed stats to compete for his second MVP Award. He has to continue the reckless abandon when running all over defense if he wants to be as effective as he can be. Last season, Jackson threw for 17 touchdowns to go along with seven interceptions, adding 764 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. While great, those numbers are a far cry from the 36 touchdowns in his 2019 MVP season. Jackson has not thrown for more than 26 touchdowns (2020) since that season.
Even if Jackson goes against the recent trends and plays in all 17 games this season, it is likely that his best statistical days are behind him. It is a big ask to expect the speedster to put up the same historic numbers as the Josh Allens and Patrick Mahomes of the world. And while Baltimore fans should be ecstatic that Jackson will be in the fold for the long haul, don’t expect him to be in the MVP discussion by the end of the season
Odell Beckham Jr. Gives Offense Some Juice
The Baltimore Ravens struggled mightily to find any consistency with their wide receivers after trading Marquise Brown during the 2022 NFL Draft. It was tight end Mark Andrews who remained the most productive pass catcher last season, hauling in 73 receptions for 847 yards and five touchdowns.
Baltimore landed the much-needed WR1 when signing the dynamic Odell Beckham Jr. in the offseason. Sure, there is some unknown surrounding Beckham after he missed the entire 2022-23 season while rehabbing from a torn ACL, but he should still have plenty of burst left.
Beckham Jr. struggled to find a home after going from the New York Giants to Cleveland Browns. But he regained elite form when serving as an integral part of the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl run in 2022. Now, he is back on another team that figures to contend in Baltimore. He has had a full offseason to work with Jackson and integrate himself with the offensive system, and he should be back to making some jaw-dropping plays next season.
If Damar Hamlin wasn’t such a lock for Comeback Player of the Year (-650 at DraftKings Sportsbook), Odell Beckham Jr. (+4500) would probably have some value. But he should still fit in nicely with the Ravens’ offense and see a steady increase in production as the year progresses.
Ravens Make Some Noise in AFC
Heading into the season the Ravens have no reason to believe they can not compete in the AFC. They have most of their key contributors returning to a defense that ranked 10th in yards allowed per game (324.3) and have addressed the two biggest needs to their offense by locking up Jackson and bringing in Beckham Jr, Nelson Agholor and Zay Flowers to turnaround their receiver room.
Another big change the Ravens made was moving on from OC Greg Roman, bringing in Georgia Bulldogs coach Todd Monken to fill the same role he excelled in at the collegiate level. With all the new faces on the offense, Monken should be able to unlock the Ravens’ offense and take them to new heights.
The over 9.5 wins (-150 at DraftKings Sportsbook) stands out as a top play as the Ravens look to prove they are still one of the very best teams in the league. New users at DraftKings can also get $150 in bonus bets with any $5 wager!
Best Ravens Future: Over 9.5 Wins (-150 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
