It was pretty obvious early on that it wasn't going to be the Baltimore Ravens' year in 2021. They're one of the few NFL teams that can't afford to have their entire running back room essentially wiped out. Sure enough, J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill systematically tore ligaments that knocked each of them out for the campaign before the regular season even started.
Ty'son Williams had a moment in Week 1, but the Ravens charged entities like Latavius Murray, Le'veon Bell, and Devonta Freeman to carry a run-first offense. While that side of the ball was swimming upstream, injuries sent the defense careening down as the secondary got sapped late in the season in the same way the tailbacks did prior to the campaign.
If there was ever a "throw out what happened last year" season, that was it for Baltimore, and the market reflects that heading into 2022.
2022 Season odds
| Market | Odds (O/U) |
|---|---|
| Win total | 9.5 (-150/+125) |
| Division | +160 |
| Conference | +1000 |
| Super Bowl | +2200 |
The Ravens still managed to win eight games last campaign and are now lined as the favorites to win the AFC North. They offer a barely shorter price than the Bengals, even though Cincinnati has a higher season win total at 10.
Schedule outlook
| Week | Opponent | Lookahead line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | @NYJ | -6 |
| 2 | MIA | -4 |
| 3 | @NE | PK |
| 4 | BUF | +1 |
| 5 | CIN | -1 |
| 6 | @NYG | -3.5 |
| 7 | CLE | N/A |
| 8 | @TB | +3.5 |
| 9 | @NO | -1 |
| 11 | CAR | -5.5 |
| 12 | @JAX | -4 |
| 13 | DEN | -1.5 |
| 14 | @PIT | -2 |
| 15 | @CLE | N/A |
| 16 | ATL | -7.5 |
| 17 | PIT | -5.5 |
| 18 | @CIN | +3 |
Baltimore hasn't lost a preseason game since 2015 - one of the wilder facts you'll ever see. However, this year's goal is to stay healthy before the club opens as road favorites at the New York Jets. In an odd scheduling quirk, the Ravens see the entire AFC East before facing anyone else. If starting the season healthy is key, finishing with a full roster is critical as Baltimore closes with four divisional matchups in its final five games.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Given the numbers from last year, the Ravens' offense is their strength by default. However, we'll assume that a devastating run game orchestrated by Lamar Jackson will be back close to where it was in 2020. Baltimore averaged 192 rushing yards per game that year, compared to 145.8 last season.
With that element compromised, Jackson showed marked improvement with his passing in the previous campaign. He was touted as "better than ever" through six games, but he couldn't sustain the momentum. With an on-field life made easier by some help on the ground, there's no legitimate reason to believe Jackson can't string it together for a full season in 2022.
Star left tackle Ronnie Stanley also missed the entire 2021 campaign, and the line struggled to compensate. Kevin Zeitler is the only other incumbent expected to start this upcoming season, as first-round pick Tyler Linderbaum takes over at center.
Weaknesses
Pick a name from the Ravens' secondary - Marcus Peters, Jimmy Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Anthony Averett, Tavon Young. Each missed somewhere between the entire season and a handful of games. As a result, they went from second in the league in opponents' yards per pass attempt to being tied with the Detroit Lions for last in the NFL.
Veterans Marcus Williams and Kyle Fuller join a unit that should see Peters back to full strength. That's a pretty big leap in talent from where the secondary group was when Baltimore lost six straight to close the season. The unit also added first-round safety Kyle Hamilton (the fourth choice for Defensive Rookie of the Year) and Alabama-product Jalyn Armour-Davis in the draft.
The Ravens' defense could easily flip back to being a strength, a scenario that legitimizes them as the division favorite.
Opportunities
If you haven't clued into the above, the opportunities come from an armada of key players regaining full health, impact players joining via the draft, and Baltimore picking up where it left off in 2020 when it was 11-5 after going 14-2 the year before.
Threats
More injury chaos. More than any other team, the Ravens use their run offense to wear down opponents and keep their own defense fresh because their quarterback can extend drives, particularly on fourth down. Jackson also missed time last year, which was atop the long list of why the season fell apart.
How to bet the Ravens
If Jackson is healthy and provides his usual mix of spectacular plays, he'll get all the credit for a big Baltimore season in which a division title will be seen as more impressive than usual. He's 20-1 for MVP. Maybe there's a quarterback that stands out more and gets the credit for leading his team to a 1-seed. If so, Jackson's combined passing and rushing yards might lead him to Offensive Player of the Year. He's 25-1 to win that award.
Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
