Ravens vs. Cardinals Point Spread: NFL Week 8 Odds, Prediction
The Cardinals saw their season continue to slip away with last weekend’s 20-10 loss in Seattle, and have now been outscored by a 115-55 margin during their current 0-4 straight up and against the spread run. Conversely, the Ravens maintained their lead atop the AFC North standings with last weekend’s 38-6 rout of the Detroit Lions, and now sit atop the NFL team stats after giving up an average of just 13.9 points per game during their 5-2 start.
The Ravens are perched as comfortable 8.5-point road favourites on the NFL Week 8 odds, while the Cards trail as distant +310 underdogs on the moneyline, and the total is listed at 44.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Sunday’s matchup at State Farm Stadium marks the first meeting between these teams in four years and the Ravens’ first trip to the desert since 2015. Baltimore has dominated in recent head-to-head clashes, taking home the SU victory on five of six dates since 1997 including wins in two of three trips to Arizona. However, each of those contests have been decided by a single score. That has benefited the Cardinals, who have covered in five of seven matchups with the Ravens. Their past two meetings have been low scoring, sparking a 2-0 run for the UNDER.
Baltimore Ravens
After seeing four of their previous five games get settled by just a single score, the Ravens offence finally found a high gear in last week’s victory over the Lions. Quarterback Lamar Jackson turned in a monster performance, throwing for 357 yards and three touchdowns, and added a scoring run while guiding the Baltimore to 503 total yards in the win. The fortunes of the Ravens are closely tied to the performance of their star pivot, with the Ravens going undefeated when Jackson records a TD pass, and winless when he doesn’t. Jackson has benefited from the improved performance of his offensive line, which has allowed him to be sacked just once over the past two games after seeing him sacked 15 times over the first five games of the campaign. Jackson has also emerged as the Ravens top rusher in the absence of the injured JK Dobbins. However, Dobbins’ absence has opened the door for Gus Edwards, who racked up 64 rushing yards and one score, and added an 80-yard catch in last week’s win.
Arizona Cardinals
The flicker of hope generated by a respectable start that featured a pair of narrow losses and a stunning upset win over Dallas has been all but extinguished during the Cardinals’ dismal 0-4 run. The Cards offence, led by quarterback Josh Dobbs, has struggled badly, averaging just 13.8 points per game during their current slide, and has produced just one touchdown over the past nine quarters. Dobbs has increasingly struggled to find the target. The 28-year-old journeyman connected on 70.7% of pass attempts over his first four outings, but has seen that number drop to just 51.9% over the past three games, while getting sacked nine times over that stretch. Slow starts have been a big problem. Arizona has scored just six total points in first quarter action over their past four games, and did no better after recess last weekend, compiling just 84 total yards and driving inside the Seattle 45-yard line just once.
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