OWINGS MILLS, Md. — All through the week, the Baltimore Ravens have been repeatedly requested how they are not going to be overconfident heading into Sunday’s recreation on the struggling New York Giants.
The Ravens’ response: They’ve realized their lesson.
“I imply, we misplaced to the Raiders, who’re 2-11 proper now, so you may’t actually go right into a recreation considering that,” Ravens security Kyle Hamilton mentioned. “You have to go play each single recreation. So, I feel now we have that mindset, and we’re locked in on the Giants.”
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The Ravens are at present the most important favourite of the 2024 season at 16 factors, in keeping with ESPN BET. This is able to surpass the Detroit Lions-Jacksonville Jaguars recreation in Week 11 when Detroit was a 14.5-point favourite — which it received 52-6. This is able to additionally make the the Ravens the sixth-largest street favourite within the final 30 years and make the Giants the NFL’s largest house underdog since 1966, in keeping with ESPN Analysis.
However 14 weeks into this season, the Ravens (8-5) have proved they’ll beat one of the best groups within the league in addition to lose to a number of the worst. Baltimore has been upset by two groups with double-digit losses: a 26-23 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 and a 29-24 loss on the Cleveland Browns (3-10) in Week 8.
Now, Baltimore faces the Giants (2-11), a banged-up workforce in line for the No. 1 decide within the 2025 draft. Sunday’s recreation (1 p.m. ET, CBS) could possibly be seen as prototypical entice recreation because the Ravens play the AFC North’s first-place workforce, the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3), six days after their recreation in New York.
“There is no issue in preparing for a workforce,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh mentioned. “We perceive how good each single workforce is. The New York Giants are a really proficient, very powerful [and] very well-coached soccer workforce. They’re very succesful, and we will should play our greatest soccer to win the sport. That is what we’re targeted on.”
Baltimore understands it has little margin for error if it needs to repeat as division champions. A win will increase the workforce’s possibilities of successful the AFC North to 23% and a loss drops the percentages to six%, in keeping with ESPN Analytics.
The Ravens’ historical past suggests they will not overlook the Giants. Baltimore is 44-1 (.978) all time when being a double-digit favourite, together with within the postseason. That is one of the best successful proportion within the NFL because the Ravens’ inaugural season in 1996.
The workforce has been favored by two or extra touchdowns on the street twice in franchise historical past. Baltimore received each of these video games, beating the Arizona Cardinals 13-7 in 2000 and defeating the Washington Soccer Staff 31-17 in 2020.
Now, Baltimore prepares to play a Giants workforce that has misplaced eight straight video games and hasn’t received since Oct. 6.
“We will not fear in regards to the outdoors noise,” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson mentioned. “We will by no means fear in regards to the outdoors noise, as a result of like I at all times say, it is one other NFL workforce we’re taking part in, irrespective of the file.”
NFL groups are 65-6 (.915) when favored by 14 or extra factors over the previous 20 years. The final time a workforce misplaced when favored by two or extra touchdowns was on the finish of the 2021 season, when the Indianapolis Colts fell to the Jaguars 26-11 after being favored by 14 factors.
However the Ravens perceive the sting that comes with shocking defeats. They insist these losses to the Raiders and Browns will remind them to not take Tommy DeVito and the Giants evenly.
“It helps us simply not let our guard down,” Hamilton mentioned. “You have to win each recreation on this league. [It] does not matter the scenario, what week it’s, who’s on the opposite aspect, who’s not on the opposite aspect; if they have 11 guys on the market, and there is a soccer, then you have to win the sport.”
