Thursday night wager: Take the home side in a snoozer
After a decent run of contests for Thursday Night Football, this week's matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens will likely bring everyone back down to earth.
After opening the season with two straight wins, the Ravens have lost four of their last five and limp into Thursday's game after an eight-point loss to the Vikings on the weekend.
Despite the fact they hold the league's second-worst offense, the Dolphins come in with three straight wins.
The wager: Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens (-3)
Miami will be without the services of Jay Cutler in this contest, as the starting pivot will miss the game due to a rib injury. Matt Moore came on in relief of Cutler this past weekend and threw two touchdowns in a 31-28 win over the Jets.
While the veteran backup certainly won't blow anyone away with a potent passing attack, the drop-off from Cutler isn't overly significant. While the Ravens field the worst rushing defense in the league, Jay Ajayi comes in after totaling just 51 yards against the Jets last weekend.
With little threat from the Dolphins' passing game, the Ravens should be able to stack the box and slow Ajayi down. The Baltimore offense has been horrific as of late, but will look for a big day from kicker Justin Tucker and the Ravens to just get past the three-point spread. Ravens 20, Dolphins 16
Thursday picks record: 5-2