Sam Panayotovich
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
The last time the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills got together on the football field, the game was all but over at halftime.
On the final Sunday of September, Derrick Henry took his first hand off 87 yards for a Ravens score, and by the time both teams returned to their locker rooms, it was 21-3 Baltimore. The Ravens emerged with a 35-10 victory thanks mostly to their bowling-ball running attack that finished with 272 yards.
Sheesh.
This past Sunday, Las Vegas oddsmakers opened up Buffalo as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of [O/U] 51.5. Baltimore flipped to the favorite by early Monday morning and some shops are out to Baltimore -1.5.
Despite the initial push on Baltimore, there are still plenty of people that are willing to grab a piece of a legit Buffalo bunch playing at home.
“It’s great two-way action so far,” Rampart Casino sportsbook director Duane Colucci told FOX Sports. “We’ll probably need Buffalo.”
“We’re a little high on the Ravens right now,” Golden Nugget executive sportsbook director Tony Miller reported. “It’s all favorites as usual. They’re parlaying the other three favorites, too. Lions, Chiefs, Eagles all to win.
“It’s that type of year.”
That said, don’t be surprised if you see a late Bills push.
“We actually took a bad number,” one professional bettor told FOX Sports from Las Vegas. “We grabbed [Buffalo PK -110] on Monday. We get a very good team at home, and it really does feel like Josh Allen’s year.
“I don’t think the other side should be favored on the road.”
How about the total?
“It seems a little high if we’re being honest,” the bettor responded. “Both teams are going to try and run the ball. And you need both teams to score to get home. You’re not getting there if only one team is scoring.”
Conventional wisdom would lead you to believe Buffalo can’t be worse than it was in the first meeting. The Bills were down multiple starters on the defensive side of the ball and starting safety Taylor Rapp left the game with a concussion. They’re much, much healthier this time around.
Meanwhile, Baltimore might be without the services of leading receiver Zay Flowers, who injured his knee in the regular-season finale against Cleveland. Flowers did not participate in practice on Wednesday or Thursday.
It feels like the game will inevitably be decided by one of the two MVP-caliber quarterbacks. Buffalo’s Allen is currently favored to win the award for the first time, but Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson was named first-team All-Pro.
Eenie, meenie, miny, moe.
“It’s a big deal if Flowers can’t go,” the bettor continued. “The Ravens jumped ahead in the first meeting and didn’t look back. Give ‘em credit. But if Flowers can’t go and the Ravens fall behind, the offense is much different. It’s tougher to run the ball when you’re chasing a couple scores.
“What’s done is done. We’re big Buffalo fans right now.”
Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and BetQL Network. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot.
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