It’s another night in prime time for the Baltimore Ravens when they host the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football at M&T Bank Stadium. This is the third prime-time game in five weeks for the Ravens (3-1) and the first of four consecutive home games. Their next game on the road is in Miami against the Dolphins on Nov. 11. They come into Monday’s matchup on a three-game win streak, while the Colts (1-3) beat the Dolphins 27-17 in Miami last week for their first win of the season.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Baltimore as the 7.5-point favorite in its latest Colts vs. Ravens odds, and the over-under for total points is 46.5. Before you lock in your Ravens vs. Colts picks or make any other Monday Night Football predictions, you need to see what SportsLine’s Mike Tierney has to say.
A national sportswriter whose work appears in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. Tierney does not consider himself a pet lover. But he likes ‘dogs, preferring to evaluate each game from the underdog’s point of view.
Tierney has used that philosophy to crush the NFL, going 187-147 against the spread the past three seasons. In addition, Tierney is an impressive 19-10 on his last 29 picks involving the Ravens. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Tierney has broken down Ravens vs. Colts from all angles and just released his coveted best bets. You can head to SportsLine to see his NFL picks. Here are the NFL odds and betting lines for Colts vs. Ravens:
- Colts vs. Ravens spread: Baltimore -7.5
- Colts vs. Ravens over-under: 46.5 points
- Colts vs. Ravens money line: Baltimore -360, Indianapolis +285
- IND: Indianapolis is 10-7-2 ATS on the road since 2019
- BAL: Baltimore is 13-7 ATS with equal rest since 2019
Featured Game | Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts
Why the Ravens can cover
Baltimore is 4-1 against the spread in its last five against the AFC South, and that includes a 24-10 road victory against the Colts last season. The defense has been allowing yardage, ranking 18th in total yards (358.8 per game), but it ranks seventh against the run (85.8). And it was the run game that was the difference for the Colts in their first victory. The Ravens also have been tough on third down, allowing just a 31 percent conversion rate (fifth in NFL). The Colts converted just two of 12 tries in last season’s meeting, and Denver was 3-of-14 last week.
The Ravens will make Carson Wentz beat them, and Calais Campbell and a linebacking corps featuring Patrick Queen will pressure him. The linebackers have combined for six of the team’s 10 sacks. Lamar Jackson remains the centerpiece of the offense, leading the league’s No. 3 rushing unit with 279 yards. Ty’Son Williams (164 yards) and Latavius Murray (151) also should find room against a defense allowing 114 rushing yards per game (15th in NFL).
Why the Colts can cover
Indianapolis is 10-2 against the spread in the last 12 meetings, and Wentz is coming in off a strong performance. He threw for 228 yards with two TDs and zero interceptions, and Jonathan Taylor rushed for 103 yards and a score. Wentz has thrown for 920 yards with five touchdowns and one interception, and receiver Michael Pittman has been his favorite target, catching 23 balls. Zach Pascal has been the possession receiver, scoring three times on his 15 receptions.
The Colts hold a 10-6 edge over Baltimore in the all-time series, including playoffs, and the defense should be fired up after last week. Miami had 203 total yards, and the Colts had three sacks and recovered two fumbles. A front featuring DeForest Buckner (one sack) and Al-Quadin Muhammad (1.5) is formidable. The unit should pressure Jackson, who has been sacked 11 times. The Ravens QB also has thrown three interceptions, and Indianapolis has eight takeaways.
How to make Ravens vs. Colts picks
For Monday night’s game, Tierney is leaning under on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the Colts vs. Ravens point spread a must-back. He’s sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
So who wins Colts vs. Ravens on Monday Night Football? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Ravens vs. Colts spread you should be all over, all from the expert who’s a stellar 19-10 on his recent picks involving Baltimore, and find out.
