It is time to go against the grain for NFL Preseason Week 2 by providing our (contrarian) best Ravens-Commanders bet. The following is not for the faint of heart.
The NFL preseason is not fun for a lot of people. Veteran players hate going through the motions of practice in the heat, joint stuff with other teams that gets testy and even suiting up for a game where they may see a series or two. Coaches understand it, but fans do not.
Speaking of the fanatics, they hate it too. The short-lived emotions of just having football back dies almost immediately after watching the starters leave the field after one quarter — if they are lucky. Yep, everyone hates this time of the year except sports bettors, especially those who know the volatility in the preseason is actually a little more controllable than even the regular season.
NFL Preseason Week 2 Against the Grain: Best Ravens-Commanders Bet
The one thing the public loves with games that do not count is a trend. They will flock to a trend especially if it reinforces their worldview. This week’s public darling in NFL Preseason Week 2 is the Baltimore Ravens. Oooh, just watch and wait. All of those sports bettors who jumped all over Baltimore laying points in Week 1 are looking for some revenge. They do not care who the Ravens are playing, only that they are still on this ridiculous undefeated streak — a moneyline streak, not a spread.
The Ravens enter Monday Night’s game against Washington 19-0 straight up when scoring 21-plus points in the preseason. They scored 20 last week and barely won. That changes this week, right?
The lowly Commanders square off against John Harbaugh (who is dead set on winning every single preseason game ever). The Ravens have depth at the quarterback position. Moreover, under Harbaugh, have won their last six games in Week 2 of the preseason. That is a ton of momentum coming in for Baltimore as they deal with a Washington team that is just 1-4 straight up over its last five Week 2 games.
Do not worry, it actually gets worse for Washington. Ron Rivera is 4-7 against the spread in preseason home openers, including 0-3 against the spread against teams coming off a win. Going back even further, the Ravens are 17-7 straight up in road openers dating back to 1998 — another serious blow to anyone thinking Commanders here. Add in Washington’s 1-9 straight-up record in this preseason series, notably losers of five straight and 0-3 as the host.
Look at the above data, numbers, history of coaching. All that is missing ahead of this game is the clip from Rocky where Adrian yells, “YOU CAN’T WIN!”. Everyone who got burned last week is looking to make it back this week but probably a little skeptical of laying points with Baltimore. What makes the most sense is taking Baltimore on the moneyline or using them as a parlay piece.
Best Ravens-Commanders Bet: Take the Commanders +140
Wait. What?
Everyone and their sharp friend is betting the Ravens. Take the Commanders in a spot where they absolutely are playing to win. Everyone is against Baltimore. This winning trend by the Ravens only invites teams now looking to stop Baltimore’s run. Week 1 showed the size of the bullseye on Baltimore’s back as Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles were playing to win a meaningless game where few starters dressed and the coach was fighting for a win … and would have had it outside of a brutal turnover late in the game.
Sam Howell has arrived, and with a shorter preseason, the focus on him getting more reps will be key. Do not be shocked when Rivera changes his awful fortune by squeezing out a rare home win in the preseason. Do not be floored when Baltimore’s 22-game win streak is snapped by the Washington Commanders.
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