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Edgar Chaput
Commanders vs. Ravens Point Spread: NFL Week 6 Odds, Prediction
When the season began, most NFL pundits would have looked at Week 6’s Washington Commanders vs Baltimore Ravens matchup and instantly thought Lamar Jackson and friends would make quick work of the Commanders. Well, here we are heading into Sunday’s action and that prediction is a lot riskier. Washington strolls into Baltimore at 4-1 with QB Jayden Daniels playing marvellously. The Ravens have won three in a row, but only to improve their record to 3-2.
That said, our NFL odds firmly believe in the host Ravens, who are currently pegged as -6.5 favourites.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Technically cross-state rivals (the Commanders play in Landover, Maryland), these clubs are infrequent adversaries since they contend in different conferences. There have been only four meetings since 2008, with the series knotted 2-2 during that span. The most recent contest went to Baltimore in 2020, 31-17.
Not only did few think the new-look Commanders would commence the season at 4-1 straight up they probably were not expecting the club to be 4-1 versus the spread too. Their only failure against the spread was in Week 1 away to the Buccaneers. Their method of victory has changed over the weeks too. From an unspectacular offence through two weeks, they’ve scored 38, 42, and 34 points in the past three games.
Baltimore’s situation is more precarious. At 3-2, it’s a bit difficult to know what to make of them just yet. At the very least, they have covered the spread thrice in a row, just as they’ve won straight up the last three weeks. Surprisingly, this season’s defence has gone completely against the franchise’s historical culture. It’s giving up an alarming 25.2 points per match, way above the 16.5 in 2023.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders fanbase is a long-suffering one. They haven’t had much to sing about in years. That could very well change in 2024, at least based on how the first five weeks have gone.
Last Sunday the Commanders returned home after a successful two-game road trip to host the Cleveland Browns. In a sign of the times, Washington’s amazing rookie QB Daniels looked so much better than Cleveland veteran DeShaun Watson. Daniels wasn’t perfect (he threw one pick) but overall looked quite cool and collected, finishing 14-for-25, 238 yards, another 82 with his feet, and a TD. They steamrolled the Browns’ defence with 434 total yards of offence. He and WR Terry McLaurin (four catches, 112 yards) are cooking something special these days.
The Washington defensive lines annihilated Cleveland, sacking the QB seven times (Frankie Luvu led with 2.5) and registering 11 hits. Make the final in this one 34-13.
Don’t look now, but the Commanders have the NFL’s number one attack, scoring 31.0 points a game.
Baltimore Ravens
Speaking of Washington’s offence firing on all cylinders, Baltimore’s will have to. Week 4’s epic road win at the Cincinnati Bengals was an indication of why 2024 Ravens are both a threat to any team they face but are also vulnerable.
The 41-38 overtime win was a true thriller. Leads changed frequently in the first half, both Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow played near-perfect games, and the visiting Ravens had to work extra hard to climb back from a 38-28 fourth-quarter deficit. Lamar was 26-for-42, 348 yards and four TDs. WR Zay Flowers had a huge role, corralling seven passes for 111 yards. TE Isaiah Likely hauled in a pair of TDs. Justin Tucker may have found his swagger when he nailed a 56-yarder to tie the game late.
The big issue coming out of this game is how bad the team’s defence is this season. Other than Week 4 versus the Bills, the secondary has looked very porous. Can they slow down Washington’s sensational offence?
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