Close
Help
Settings
Joe Flacco Baltimore Ravens

Detroit at Baltimore Preseason Week 3 Lines & Expert Pick

Written by on August 25, 2016

NFL News and Rumors
Baltimore Ravens fans haven’t seen Joe Flacco on the field since tearing knee ligaments last Nov. 22 in a win over the Rams. But Flacco has been practicing and he will make his preseason debut on Saturday night when Baltimore hosts Detroit in the third exhibition game for both. The Ravens are slight favorites on NFL odds.

Take a Closer Look at the Detroit at Baltimore Preseason Week 3 Lines & Expert Pick & TV Info

When: Saturday, Aug. 27, 7 PM ET Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore TV: check local listings Stream: NFL.com Radio: Detroit / Baltimore Opening NFL Lines: Ravens -3 (42.5)

Detroit vs Baltimore Historic Betting Trends

It’s the preseason fourth meeting between the teams when it doesn’t count, with the Ravens leading 2- 1. The last game was in 2012 and Detroit won 27-12 in Baltimore. Matthew Stafford had two touchdown passes and threw for 184 yards in four possessions. Calvin Johnson had five catches for 111 yards and the Lions had 507 yards offense. Johnson is retired now. Flacco was 7-for- 12 for 79 yards and led the Ravens to two field goals before leaving in the second quarter. The teams last played in the regular season in 2013 in Week 15 and the Ravens won 18-16. Justin Tucker made six field goals, including a team-record 61-yarder with 38 seconds remaining. Flacco threw for 222 yards. Stafford threw for 235 and a TD with three interceptions.

Why Bet Detroit?

The Lions won in Pittsburgh 30-17 in Week 1 of the preseason but lost 30-14 at home to Cincinnati last week. Former Cincinnati wide receiver Marvin Jones, signed by the Lions in the offseason, had four catches for 65 yards against his former team. Detroit’s Matthew Stafford was 8 of 11 for 113 yards, but the Lions went without a touchdown until the final minute of the game. The Lions haven’t used top running back Ameer Abdullah, tight end Eric Ebron or linebacker DeAndre Levy yet in the preseason and it appears only Abdullah has a chance to play Saturday. Abdullah missed the first two preseason games as he was still practicing with a red, no-contact practice jersey. But he has shed that. Abdullah said he wasn’t given any indication yet whether he’ll be used at all Saturday against the Ravens or if he’ll end up sitting out the entire preseason. “I mean, I just want to play,” said Abdullah, who had postseason shoulder surgery. “Just want to play at a full-speed game tempo. That’s all it really is. I’ve been practicing. To play in a game setting, to get back used to playing in a game since I haven’t played in a preseason game yet, that’d be cool.” Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, a former Ravens offensive coordinator, wants to see more from his offense this week. In two exhibition games so far, the starting offense under Stafford has played just four series. The first-team offense has shown some effectiveness and reached the red zone twice. But it has fumbled the ball twice and scored just three points. The first-team offense should play the entire first half Saturday, which would give the unit enough chances to prove it can put some points on the scoreboard.

Why Bet Baltimore?

Will it all starts with Flacco. He tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee on Nov. 22 when reserve offensive tackle James Hurst was pushed back into him during a game against the St. Louis Rams. Flacco had knee surgery on Dec. 8 and returned in time for the start of training camp. The veteran hasn’t missed a repetition in camp. However, the Ravens want him to get some game action ahead of the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the Bills. Flacco says he is ready to get hit. Despite wearing a brace on his left knee, he has moved well in practice and has even scrambled to get first downs. But that all occurred when he was wearing a red jersey, which signifies no contact. “You need to get back out there, [and] you need to get your mind used to getting ready for a game,” Flacco said. “And then, yeah, I need to get over that last hurdle, which is going out there and being a live target for guys to hit and see how I react to it.” Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Dean Peas wants more from his unit. The Ravens’ starting defense has given up long drives to begin each preseason game. Saturday’s contest should give a better sense of the unit because all of the healthy starters will play a while. “I’d like to see us get off to a faster start,” Pees said. “The first two preseason games we’ve done a good job of holding someone to a field goal on drives, but I’d really rather not see a 10 or 11-play drive to start the game.”

My Expert Pick

I like Baltimore at home on NFL lines and go under the total.
Help Center