Ravens at Raiders Point Spread: NFL Week 5 Odds, Prediction

If the past two meetings are any indication, Sunday’s game from Oakland between the Baltimore Ravens and the Raiders will be decided in the final minute. Oakland had been an opening 4-point favourite on Sports Interaction odds, but that line moved because starting QB Derek Carr won’t play.

Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders

When: Sunday, 4:05 PM ET
Where: Oakland Coliseum
Point Spread: Pick’em

Point Spread and Betting Analysis

Baltimore (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) is a hard team to gauge thus far, but the signs aren’t great. That because the Ravens’ two victories are over the Bengals and Browns. Cleveland is probably the NFL’s worst team, and Cincinnati’s only victory is against the Browns. The past two weeks, the Ravens have been blown out in London by Jacksonville and then dominated at home Sunday by rival Pittsburgh. Oakland (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) won each of its first two games by double digits and was the NFL’s highest-scoring team through two weeks. The Raiders have scored only 10 points each of the past two weeks in losses at Washington and in Denver.

Oakland has covered three of the past four meetings vs. Baltimore. Last year as a 3.5-point road underdog, the Raiders won 28-27 on a Carr 23-yard TD pass to Michael Crabtree with 2:12 left (and then the successful PAT). The Ravens would get to midfield on their next possession before being stopped on fourth down. In 2015, Oakland was a 6-point home underdog and beat the Ravens 37-33.  Carr threw a 12-yard TD pass with 26 seconds left. A personal foul on a Baltimore defender kept that drive alive after Carr threw an interception.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have totaled only 16 points in their two-game skid. Joe Flacco’s season rating of 65.0 is better than only Browns rookie DeShone Kizer, and Flacco has been picked off six times overall — including two in each of the past two outings. He has led Baltimore to all of one touchdown in his last 28 drives, and dating to last season has been picked off in 10 straight games, the longest active streak in the league and worst of his career. It’s not all his fault as the offensive line has been ravaged by injuries and there’s simply not much skill-position talent around him.

Oakland Raiders

Carr is going to miss anywhere from 2-6 weeks with a transverse process fracture in his back. He left Sunday’s loss at the Broncos following a sack with what originally was being called back spasms (wishful thinking apparently). Carr’s backup is former Buffalo first-round bust E.J. Manuel. He went 11 of 17 for 106 yards and an interception in relief of Carr in Denver. Will Oakland have Crabtree vs. Baltimore? He missed the Denver game with a chest injury. Crabtree has 13 catches for 170 yards and three scores.

Ravens at Raiders Prediction

Oakland isn’t the same without Carr, as shown at the end of last season when he broke his leg in Week 16. But the Ravens aren’t very good. Raiders win 17-14 only because they are at home.