Baltimore Ravens @ Tennessee Titans Match Preview

Baltimore Ravens welcome Tennessee Titans to the M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday with the men from Maryland hoping to recover from a disappointing defeat to New England Patriots last time out. Both teams have a 6-3 record so far in 2020, so things could be tight and tense. The bookies have made Baltimore favorites for this clash, but the Ravens have a long casualty list with 11 players on injured reserve. Their depth is sure to be tested by a Titans team that has lost three of it last five games.

Do the Ravens have Enough Depth?

Baltimore may well be favorites with the bookies, but the length of their injury list will be troubling head coach John Harbaugh. Their defense is particularly depleted, with All-Pro tackle Ronnie Stanley out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury, and four corner backs also missing. Veteran corner back Jimmy Smith had to sit out practice this week and also missed last weekend’s game with New England, so cover is limited. Defensive linemen Calais Campbell (calf) and Brandon Williams (ankle) also missed Wednesday’s session. On offense, tight end Nick Boyle’s knee injury last weekend means he is out for the rest of 2020, and there was only one other tight end on the roster until free agent Luke Wilson was signed this week. If he shows up well in practice, he might be moved up from the practice squad to the gameday roster.

Significantly, the Ravens struggled to defend against the New England running game last weekend. The Patriots made 173 yards rushing last weekend, something that does not bode well when they will need to defend against Titans running back Derrick Henry this Sunday. Henry ran for 195 yards when the Titans beat the Ravens 28-12 last January. Henry, who stands at 6’3” and weighs 247 pounds, is a powerhouse who takes some stopping, and he has run for 946 yards this season, the second-highest in the NFL. His sheer physicality makes him a very hard man to stop.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson likes to run himself, but many of his runs come from necessity rather than choice. He also likes to pass to tight ends, and Baltimore’s options look a little limited there right now.

Our Pick: Ravens to win by 1-6

Our tip for this game is that Ravens will win by 1-6 points, with their injuries doing the Titans a bit of a favour. Home advantage could well turn out to be key to the outcome. Odds of +335 from 888Sport for a one to six point margin of victory look tempting to us. Although Baltimore have a lengthy injury list we think that they will have enough depth, just, in their roster to cope. It will not be easy for the Maryland franchise, though, and we expect the Titans, with Henry to the fore, to push them hard all the way.

Our pick: Ravens to win by 1-6 @ +335 with 888Sport