OWINGS MILLS, Md. — All through the week, the Baltimore Ravens have been repeatedly requested how they are not going to be overconfident heading into Sunday’s recreation on the struggling New York Giants.
The Ravens’ response: They’ve discovered their lesson.
“I imply, we misplaced to the Raiders, who’re 2-11 proper now, so you’ll be able to’t actually go right into a recreation considering that,” Ravens security Kyle Hamilton mentioned. “You have to go play each single recreation. So, I believe now we have that mindset, and we’re locked in on the Giants.”
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The Ravens are at the moment the most important favourite of the 2024 season at 16 factors, in keeping with ESPN BET. This could surpass the Detroit Lions-Jacksonville Jaguars recreation in Week 11 when Detroit was a 14.5-point favourite — which it received 52-6. This could additionally make the the Ravens the sixth-largest highway favourite within the final 30 years and make the Giants the NFL’s largest residence underdog since 1966, in keeping with ESPN Analysis.
However 14 weeks into this season, the Ravens (8-5) have proved they will beat the perfect groups within the league in addition to lose to among the worst. Baltimore has been upset by two groups with double-digit losses: a 26-23 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 and a 29-24 loss on the Cleveland Browns (3-10) in Week 8.
Now, Baltimore faces the Giants (2-11), a banged-up crew in line for the No. 1 choose within the 2025 draft. Sunday’s recreation (1 p.m. ET, CBS) might be seen as prototypical lure recreation because the Ravens play the AFC North’s first-place crew, the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3), six days after their recreation in New York.
“There is no issue in preparing for a crew,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh mentioned. “We perceive how good each single crew is. The New York Giants are a really gifted, very powerful [and] very well-coached soccer crew. They’re very succesful, and we will need to play our greatest soccer to win the sport. That is what we’re targeted on.”
Baltimore understands it has little margin for error if it desires to repeat as division champions. A win will increase the crew’s probabilities of profitable the AFC North to 23% and a loss drops the percentages to six%, in keeping with ESPN Analytics.
The Ravens’ historical past suggests they will not overlook the Giants. Baltimore is 44-1 (.978) all time when being a double-digit favourite, together with within the postseason. That is the perfect profitable share within the NFL for the reason that Ravens’ inaugural season in 1996.
The crew has been favored by two or extra touchdowns on the highway twice in franchise historical past. Baltimore received each of these video games, beating the Arizona Cardinals 13-7 in 2000 and defeating the Washington Soccer Crew 31-17 in 2020.
Now, Baltimore prepares to play a Giants crew that has misplaced eight straight video games and hasn’t received since Oct. 6.
“We won’t fear concerning the outdoors noise,” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson mentioned. “We are able to by no means fear concerning the outdoors noise, as a result of like I at all times say, it is one other NFL crew we’re enjoying, irrespective of the file.”
NFL groups are 65-6 (.915) when favored by 14 or extra factors over the previous 20 years. The final time a crew misplaced when favored by two or extra touchdowns was on the finish of the 2021 season, when the Indianapolis Colts fell to the Jaguars 26-11 after being favored by 14 factors.
However the Ravens perceive the sting that comes with shocking defeats. They insist these losses to the Raiders and Browns will remind them to not take Tommy DeVito and the Giants flippantly.
“It helps us simply not let our guard down,” Hamilton mentioned. “You have to win each recreation on this league. [It] would not matter the scenario, what week it’s, who’s on the opposite aspect, who’s not on the opposite aspect; if they have 11 guys on the market, and there is a soccer, then you have to win the sport.”
