Dolphins at Ravens Odds

The Baltimore Ravens has won four of the seven matchups against the Miami Dolphins, including a 27-9 win last January.

Now the Fins will attempt to avenge that loss by bringing their dreaded wildcat offense to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday November 7.Game time is 1PM ET.

Looking at the latest NFL odds have Ravens -5 over Miami with a game total of 40 ½ points.

The Dolphins are coming off a strong 22-14 win against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. The defense shut down the Bengals in the second half, allowing the Miami to recover from a 14-12 half time deficit. The Bengals failed to step up, losing their fourth straight and moving into a tie for last place. With less than three minutes to go in the game, Carson Palmer squashed their last hope with an interception.

As for Dolphins QB Chad Henne, he completed 24 of 37 for Miami, throwing for 217 yards. His favorite target of the day was WR Brandon Marshall who had five receptions for 64 yards, while RB Ronnie Brown contributed with 16 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown.

With that win, Miami improved their record to 4-3 and sit 3^rd in the AFC east.

The defense has been good, as witnessed last week, restricting opponents to 101.6 yards on the ground (11^th) and 207.9(12^th) in the air. They have limited opposing offenses to a total of 54 points in their four wins. The offense relies on passing more often than not, with 232 yards a game to rank 12^th, and 11.3 from ground attacks (16^th).

Henne hasn’t been a superstar, but has put up decent numbers that include 1,669 yards and eight touchdowns.

Meanwhile, veteran running back Ricky Williams, who looked on the verge of a comeback in the early weeks of the 2010 campaign, has only managed one touchdown on 335 yards, while Brown has one as well. The team has settled in as a 22-point offense, scoring 23, 22, and 22 in its last three contests.

Over in Mobtown, the Ravens are fresh off a bye week, but beat Buffalo in overtime, 37-34, in Week 7.

The game shouldn’t have been that hard, but the defense was a bit off in Baltimore, surrendering 505 yards and four touchdowns. Keep in mind Buffalo is the 30^th ranked NFL offense.

Offensively, QB Joe Flacco looked good, throwing three touchdowns on 250 yards, even though the Buffalos Ryan Fitzpatrick out threw him with four touchdowns and 382 yards.

Ed Reed was back from hip surgery and proved how much he contributes, forcing a fumble on the Bills first possession, and grabbed two-second half interceptions. That makes two straight overtimes for the Ravens, having lost to New England in Week 6.

The Ravens improved to 5-2, good enough to maintain 1^st in the AFC North. The offense is steadily improving, averaging 29 points over the last three games. The team stands 15^th in passing with just over 225 a game, led by Flacco with his 10 touchdowns. Rushing is a stronger point on the offense, with 115 a game to rank 12^th. Running backs Ray Rice and Willis McGahee have combined for 730 yards and six touchdowns.

The defense has looked a bit weary as of late, but should continue to get a boost with Reed’s return. It continues to hold its own against the pass, ranking 9^th in opposing passing yards, and 17^th in rushing with 109 a game.

Matt’s Free Prediction: Ravens -5- This is a solid matchup, and though Baltimore has looked a bit winded the last few games, the offense has responded to pick it up. That’s the mark of a playoff bound team. In addition, with Ed Reed back in the fold, the Ravens can breathe a little easier and cruise to a sixth win.

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