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The Baltimore Ravens look to continue one of the most unusual streaks in pro sports when they play at the Washington Commanders on Monday.
Under John Harbaugh, Baltimore has won 24 exhibition games in a row, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 20-19 on Aug. 12.
The Ravens last lost an exhibition game on Sept. 3, 2015.
How long ago was that?
Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson made his debut for the Louisville Cardinals two days after that 20-19 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons to finish the 2015 preseason with three consecutive losses and a 1-3 record.
The Green Bay Packers (1959-62) held the previous record with 19 consecutive exhibition victories.
The Buffalo Bills have the second-longest active preseason win streak (10 games).
For what it’s worth, Baltimore is a 3-point favorite over the Commanders. The Ravens are -157 on the moneyline, meaning a $10 wager would result in a $16.37 total payout ($6.37 profit).
Baltimore Ravens at Washington Commanders, 8 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN
Point spread: Ravens -1.5 (Ravens favored to win by more than 1.5 points, otherwise Commanders cover)
Moneyline: Ravens -120 favorites to win (bet $10 to win $18.33 total); Commanders +100 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $20 total)
Total scoring over/under: 37.5 points scored by both teams combined
Will Ravens go 3-0 this preseason (Eagles, Commanders, Buccaneers)?
Yes: +186 (bet $10 to win $28.60 total)
No: -245 (bet $10 to win $14.08 total)
Are the new-look Ravens AFC contenders?
Craig Carton and Plaxico Burress weigh in on the Baltimore Ravens. Carton explains why the Ravens are a lock to make the postseason.
The Ravens wrapped up the 2022 exhibition season with a 17-15 win over the Commanders, meaning Harbaugh & Co. didn’t cover the 6.5-point spread in that game.
That made the Ravens 20-3 against the spread (ATS) in that span.
For those looking ahead to the regular season odds for the Ravens, we’ve got you covered, including insights on the Eagles-Ravens game from FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz.
RAVENS’ ODDS FOR 2023 SEASON*
Ravens win AFC North Division: +210 (bet $10 to win $31 total)
Ravens win AFC: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Ravens win Super Bowl LVIII: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Lamar Jackson wins MVP: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Lamar Jackson wins Comeback Player of Year: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Lamar Jackson wins Offensive Player of Year: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Lamar Jackson to win MVP or Offensive Player of the Year: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Lamar Jackson to throw 30+ TD passes in regular season: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Lamar Jackson to score 10+ rushing TDs in regular season: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Lamar Jackson regular season passing yards Over/Under 3350.5
Over (-112): Bet $10 to win $18.93 total
Under (-112): Bet $10 to win $18.93 total
Lamar Jackson regular rushing yards Over/Under 775.5
Over (-112): Bet $10 to win $18.93 total
Under (-112): Bet $10 to win $18.93 total
* = as of 8/20/2023
Insights by FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz:
The Ravens have made those who wagered on them to cover the spread over the last eight preseasons lots of money. Will this trend continue in 2023? I have my doubts.
While the Ravens streak of winning all their preseason games started before Lamar Jackson arrived in Baltimore, the ease of winning these games has grown since the Ravens’ offense was adapted for Jackson. From 2016 through 2018, the Ravens won their preseason games by an average of 10.6 points, winning four out of 13 games by just a single point. Since Jackson took over as the starting quarterback in 2019, the Ravens have won their preseason games by an average of 14 points, with only two of the 10 games finishing within a seven-point margin.
The reason for the Ravens remarkable preseason success with Lamar Jackson is threefold. First is the offensive design. Outside what is now the second preseason game, most defenses aren’t game planning much for the opposing offense. The Ravens ran an offense that was unique to them and supremely difficult for a defense to stop in the preseason with little preparation. Their ability to run the ball ate up the clock and didn’t allow other teams have the ball as often, which provided fewer opportunities for the opposing teams to score enough points to keep pace.
I’ve made this observation and will continue to do so until it changes but non-offensive coaches tend to fare better in the preseason than their offensive coaching counterparts. Those coaches tend to hyper focus on winning these games. With Harbaugh’s special teams background, the Ravens are more prepared to win those phases of the game in preseason games. Lastly, Harbaugh’s aggressive nature on fourth down has the Ravens always with the gas pedal down in preseason games.
All of this sounds like the Ravens are a smart wager once again this preseason, but I would give a word of caution. That offense that defenses didn’t have time to prepare for? Well, it’s gone. The Ravens have a new offensive coordinator [Todd Monken] who is changing the offense to feature more pro-style concepts, which should be easier for defenses to play in the preseason with little game planning.
Follow along on FOX Sports for the latest news on the Ravens, Jackson, the NFL and the rest of the sports world.
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