National Football League

Ahead of Cowboys clash, is it time to fade struggling Ravens?

Updated Sep. 19, 2024 3:09 p.m. ET

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Sam Panayotovich

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

Are you ready for Dak Prescott against Lamar Jackson?

Of course you are.

The Baltimore Ravens visit the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday afternoon on "America’s Game of the Week." You can watch the two perennial playoff contenders at 4:25 pm ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App.

Dallas opened as a 1-point home favorite with a total of 47.5, but the favorite has flipped, and the total is climbing slowly but surely. DraftKings Sportsbook is currently dealing Baltimore -1, O/U 48.5.

It’s not surprising to see early money come against the Boys.

"I downgraded Dallas a point and a half after they got smashed by New Orleans," longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker Kenny White told FOX Sports. "Their defensive line got manhandled. It’s not so much the points they allowed, it’s the 430 yards of offense with a ton of those on the ground.

"Nobody saw that coming. A friend of mine called me last Sunday. He’s a ticket writer and loves being in the book around all the action on weekends. He called me and said he hadn’t written one ticket on the Saints.

"The Cowboys aren’t in my top 10 right now."

Meanwhile, the Ravens are already behind the eight-ball at 0-2, which is never ideal when your offensive line is a work in progress and your defense is trying to replace linebacker Patrick Queen and edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, not to mention defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald.

White isn’t abandoning ship yet.  

"I only dropped Baltimore a half point after last week’s loss to Vegas, and they’re still the fifth-best team in my ratings," he said. "Just two real close losses. You can’t knock them for losing to Kansas City at Arrowhead.

"These teams are both playing extremely fast. I monitor pace and tempo and Baltimore is the sixth-fastest right now. Dallas is the eighth-fastest. I think we get some points on Sunday. Pay attention to that total."

Can the Cowboys bounce back against the winless Ravens in Dallas?

White has much more faith in John Harbaugh than Mike McCarthy, too, an angle that even a diehard Dallas fan would be hard-pressed to argue.  

Think about this — even at 0-2, the Ravens are still favored to make the playoffs. 

Make, not miss. That's bookmaker belief in the roster, the coaching staff, and maybe a smidge of disbelief in the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

"Harbaugh is a great talent evaluator," White explained. "He always brings in guys that fit his system. He tends to have the best second-stringers every year, so the team can sustain injuries. There’s always depth in Baltimore.

"Also, the Ravens are 31-15 ATS in their last 46 road games. Harbaugh is a wizard on the highway." 

Guess it's time to buy low on Baltimore.  

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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Sam Panayotovich