Baltimore Ravens (4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS) vs. Tennessee Titans (4-3 SU, 3-4 ATS)
Week 9 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, November 5, 2017 at 1PM EDT
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
TV: CBS
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: BAL +4.5/TEN -4.5
Over/Under Total: 43
The Baltimore Ravens come into Nashville for a Sunday matchup with the Tennessee Titans in week 9 action. Baltimore is coming off a big win over Miami on Thursday Night Football, crushing the 'Fins, 40-0, in an unexpected wipeout. They look to have Joe Flacco back after a concussion on Thursday after he was the recipient of a vicious hit, but for a team that was struggling so badly, a 40-0 win to get back to .500 could serve them well moving forward. Tennessee, meanwhile, is coming off the bye, which followed two straight wins to get to 4-3, including an overtime road win over the Browns in their last game. They've had injuries and some up-and-down play this season, but have a chance to take it to 5-3 this week in what seems like a winnable spot.
Baltimore is not an easy team to figure out from week-to-week. Just when you think they're overturned on their backs, they spring forth with a good game. They looked great to start the season, went into a swoon, but bounced back mightily on Thursday, with both sides of the ball getting back on-point. The defense, in particular, looked as good as it did to start the season, shutting out the Dolphins. It was their second shutout of the season. But it's the same group that gave up 44 to the Jaguars, so it's a part of their game that isn't applied all that consistently. And having Flacco back without missing this start is a big help, as he looked to get going in that game against Miami.
The Baltimore offense is pretty erratic. Flacco wasn't really having a good season before last week. The aerial attack seemed to get a boost from getting Jeremy Maclin back, as he caught a TD on Thursday. WR Mike Wallace could be ready to return from a concussion. It's a part of their game that needs all the help they can get. The running back combo of Alex Collins and Javorious Allen was good on Thursday. There are games where the pair have been quiet, but it's not a bad package of backs against the right defense.
The Ravens' defense again showed its high ceiling on Thursday in the shutout win over Miami. There have been a few games where their formula for success didn't resonate, but they've been very strong this season in spots and maybe Thursday bolstered them for the second half of the season. The success of this team is heavily-reliant on this side of the ball. In the front-seven, CJ Mosley, Terrell Suggs, Anthony Levine, Sr., and others got after it against Miami. Making this defense really dangerous is a secondary that is among the best in the AFC. With Brandon Carr, Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson, Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb, Marlon Humphrey, and others, it's a deep unit and they can make plays too. On Thursday, both Smith and Mosley returned interceptions for touchdowns. The Baltimore defense has 17 turnovers on the season with four defensive scores. Perhaps the win on Thursday will give way to more-consistent version of a defense that can really change the complexion of games when in good form.
The Titans are looking for the time off to have helped some key guys get healthier, namely Delanie Walker and DeMarco Murray. Their last two wins aren't all that impressive, first a comeback win over Indy, followed by needing to go to overtime to beat the winless Browns. After losing to Oakland at home in their opener, they won two straight against the Jaguars and Seahawks, before dropping two straight against the Texans and Dolphins, before winning their last two games. They still enter this game with a share of the division lead and a win here would be a great development for the Titans.
The Tennessee offense looks for answers after a rough 12-point showing against Cleveland. Marcus Mariota has been banged-up and missed time this season already, contributing to his dicey stats, namely his 4 touchdowns and 4 picks. Look for them to establish more in the aerial attack, especially if they can get Walker back healthy. Having rookie Corey Davis untracked would be a good development, with Rishard Matthews, Eric Decker, and Taywan Taylor also looking for more production. This is still a team that fancies the run-heavy approach, with Murray, Derrick Henry, and Mariota carrying the load. Injuries have also played a role in this equation. Maybe the bye week refreshed some legs for the second-half of the season, as it's not quite the same ground-game we saw last season. Don't expect to see that all season, however.
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Other than the awful 57-point allowance they yielded to the Texans, the Tennessee defense hasn't been that bad. And since that collapse, they've allowed a combined 34 points in their last three games. They've gotten pretty solid play in the middle this season with Wesley Woodyard, Avery Williamson, and Brian Orakpo. Up-front, guys like Jurrell Casey and Sylvester Williams have been adept at curtailing the opposing run-game. They could use more of a consistent pass-rush. They've been getting big plays with Keith Byard at safety, as he has 4 picks, but that's also a part of their team that would like to see better play moving forward.
It's good that the Ravens will have Flacco in there and with a bye week after this, look for them to try hard to go into the break with some momentum. All told, the Ravens are one on the most difficult teams to bank on from week to week—whether for good or bad. I see both teams having their defense shine a little more than the other side of the ball this week. I'm taking the "under."
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