[Baltimore Sun] Ravens Week 2 betting guide: Count on Derrick Henry against the Raiders
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Despite a Week 1 loss to Kansas City, sports betting oddsmakers still view the Ravens as one of the NFL’s best teams. The respect is understandable, especially with tight end Isaiah Likely and the Ravens coming inches away from earning a potential game-winning 2-point conversion attempt against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
FanDuel gives Baltimore the fifth-shortest odds (12-to-1) to win the Super Bowl, with only the Chiefs (5/1) holding better odds among AFC teams.
Oddsmakers’ respect for the Ravens is evident in Week 2 NFL betting lines, with Baltimore sitting as an 8 1/2-point favorite across most sportsbooks, according to Vegas Insider. Coach John Harbaugh’s Ravens host the Las Vegas Raiders, who lost to Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers in their season opener, on Sunday at 1 p.m. inside M&T Bank Stadium.
The Ravens are the largest betting favorite of any NFL team in Week 2, with the Detroit Lions (a 7 1/2-point favorite over Tampa Bay) the only other squad favored to win by more than a touchdown.
Best bet for Ravens vs. Raiders
Plenty of bettors will back the Ravens this week, even with the big spread. Those bettors have good reason to put their money behind Baltimore and Harbaugh, who is 22-12 against the spread in Weeks 1 and 2 over his career, according to Action Network data. That’s the best mark in those weeks of any current NFL coach.
While the spread will attract some betting action, a prop bet involving Ravens running back Derrick Henry might offer the most intrigue. Several sportsbooks list a prop for Henry’s total number of carries in Sunday’s game at 17 1/2.
Henry only carried the ball 13 times for 46 yards in Week 1, with quarterback Lamar Jackson leading the team with 16 rushes. Jackson hasn’t surpassed 16 carries in a game since 2021, and he said Wednesday he’s “not trying to find out” if his body can sustain the physicality he needed in Week 1.
“We’ve got Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, those guys, but I’m going to do whatever it takes to win, and in that type of game, sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” Jackson told reporters.
Don’t expect Jackson to lead the Ravens in carries in Week 2, especially against a team far more beatable than the Chiefs.
As for Henry, he handled 13 of 14 carries from Ravens running backs in the 27-20 loss to Kansas City. Justice Hill (43) played more snaps than Henry (37) in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus, but that’s largely because Baltimore leaned on its passing game in the second half to try to erase a deficit. Of Baltimore’s 80 offensive snaps, 57 were either passes or runs by Jackson.
Ravens running back Derrick Henry only received 13 carries in Week 1, but he’s in line for a larger workload against the Raiders. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
The pregame betting odds suggest that the Ravens could hold the lead in the final quarters Sunday, creating a game script more reliant on Henry and the running game than Jackson’s arm and improvisational scrambling. In Tennessee last season, Henry averaged 14.3 carries in Titans losses and 20.5 carries in wins, as he’s adept at burning clock and icing games when his team holds a lead. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has talked with his defense about expecting a large dose of Henry.
“Grab a couple Advil from [head athletic trainer] Chris [Cortez] in the training room,” Pierce said at Wednesday’s media availability. “It’s gonna hurt.”
With the Ravens likely wanting to protect Jackson’s body a little more Sunday compared with the opener against an AFC contender, look for Henry to handle an increased workload in his first home game as a Raven.
Best bet: Derrick Henry over 17 1/2 carries
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