Ravens in potential fade spot Week 1 vs. Texans as lone NFL favorite of more than seven points
As it was, the Baltimore #RavensFlock were the only team to be favored in Week 1 of this NFL season by at least 7 points, and they are now up to -10 at some books as they host the rebuilding Houston Texans on Sept. 10. No other game is getting to double digits. While the Ravens are 29-1 straight up in their past 30 games as a double-digit favorite, this trend only applies to them in the opening week:
Since 2005, NFL favorites of 7 or more points in Week 1 have gone 21-32 against the spread, a cover percentage of only 40.
Yet the Ravens are taking north of 65% leans at all major books via tickets and handle against Houston.
Baltimore is 14-15-1 ATS in its past 30 as a double-digit favorite and didn’t cover the lone time in 2022 as it was -12.5 coming out of its bye Week 11 against Carolina and won 13-3 – the score was 3-3 entering the fourth quarter.
The only loss in the past 30 games for Coach John Harbaugh’s club as a double-digit favorite was Oct. 24, 2011, when it was +10 at Jacksonville and beaten 12-7. In Week 1 games under Harbaugh, the Ravens are 11-4 SU and ATS with an average spread of -2.7. They have won and covered six of the past seven openers – perhaps building off recent preseason success. Baltimore had been unbeaten in every preseason since 2016 but had its NFL-record 24-game preseason winning streak snapped at Washington this past Monday.
First-year Houston coach Shane Steichen has yet to name his starting quarterback for Week 1, but if it’s not rookie No. 2 overall pick CJ Stroud, something went badly wrong. Stroud has started the team’s first two preseason games and also will the finale. The #Texans are 7-3 ATS in their past 10 as double-digit dogs, including 4-1 ATS last year.