The Baltimore Ravens look to stay charged on the road in Jacksonville following an electric overtime victory over the Rams. This is the first of two straight primetime games; first up the Jaguars, then it’s the 49ers — both on the road. This is a familiar and successful spot for Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence: Home dogs on a short spread. Lawrence’s health is the key concern, but he’s played ever since his high ankle sprain. One matchup that should determine a lot — including the first touchdown — is the Jaguars’ strong run defense against the run-heavy Ravens. Here are the best Ravens-Jaguars first touchdown picks for Sunday Night Football!
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Ravens-Jaguars SNF First Touchdown Picks
Baltimore Ravens Touchdown Scorer
The Jaguars balance two extremes on defense, leaving one area extra vulnerable to the Ravens. Jacksonville has been fantastic against the run, allowing the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game. Unfortunately, that hasn’t carried into the secondary, as the Jaguars are 30th in opponent passing yards per game. Baltimore’s primary form of attack should be throwing the ball right away on the Jacksonville defense. Lamar Jackson should have a couple of options to throw to, as the Jaguars will give up a big play or two early in this game. That’s the best strategy in finding value for a first touchdown prop in this game.
Zay Flowers has a touchdown in each of his last two games, and even in a low-production game — five grabs for 25 yards against the Chargers — he still saw eight targets and scored. He’s a great selection at 12-1 on DraftKings, as Odell Beckham Jr. will force a bewildered Jaguars secondary to overcompensate. Flowers is the guy; take him at +1200 for the first score.
Ravens-Jaguars First Touchdown Picks: Zay Flowers +1200 at DraftKings for 0.25 Units
Jacksonville Jaguars First Touchdown Scorer
The Jaguars are running out of time. They’ve dropped two straight games and barely hold a half-game lead over the Colts atop the AFC South. The good news is they’ve won six of their last eight outings as home dogs, a number they will rely on Sunday night against the Ravens. There isn’t a ton of wiggle room for the Jaguars offense, as the Ravens are top 12 in run defense and top 7 in pass defense. Travis Etienne Jr. is certainly a chalkier play, but thanks to OddsShopper, we found him at a healthy 6-1 option. He’s the feature back, someone Pederson will pound to a fault down near the goal line. Etienne also has four grabs in each of his last three games, enough to be a valid threat in the passing game — even if it’s a dump or quick pass in the red zone.
Ravens-Jaguars First Touchdown Picks: Travis Etienne Jr. +600 at PointsBet for 0.25 Units
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