Ravens win total preview: The rich get richer in 2020
Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.
The Baltimore Ravens were easily the NFL's best team last year behind a punishing offense, opportunistic defense, and the league's runaway MVP. This year, expectations are higher, and opposing teams have had a full offseason to prepare for Lamar Jackson and Co. Will it be enough?
| HOW MANY GAMES WILL THE RAVENS WIN? | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Over 11.5 | Even |
| Under 11.5 | -120 |
A look back
Baltimore wasted no time declaring itself as a juggernaut last year, trouncing the Dolphins by 49 points in Week 1. After a pair of losses in late September, the Ravens ripped off 12 straight wins to finish with an NFL-best 14-2 record.
They didn't just win, either. They dominated. Baltimore won three games by at least 35 points - the most since 1989 - and finished with the best average point differential (+13.7) since the '07 Patriots. That increased to nearly 18 points per game during the team's 12-game winning streak.
The advanced metrics loved the Ravens, too. They finished with the seventh-best DVOA (41.5%) since Football Outsiders started tracking the stat in 1985, boasting top-10 marks on offense (No. 1), defense (No. 4), and special teams (No. 10).
Luxury additions
For as dominant as Baltimore was last year, its roster is even better this season. The Ravens return 20 of 22 starters from a year ago and added All-Pro edge rusher Calais Campbell, along with first-round linebacker Patrick Queen, to a defense that was elite despite numerous injuries to its secondary.
The best rushing offense in NFL history also added J.K. Dobbins, who was one of the most efficient rushers in NCAA history at Ohio State. Jackson's passing stats will likely regress, especially his unsustainable touchdown rate (9%), but his pairing with Pro Bowler Mark Ingram shows no signs of slowing down.
This team isn't done adding pieces, either. The Ravens have been linked to Antonio Brown all offseason, and they've been working out former Cowboys star Dez Bryant this week. They also still have the franchise tag rights to Matthew Judon, who will either fetch a nice piece on the trade market or complement a now-fierce pass rush with Campbell in tow.
Regression looming?
Even if the Ravens are better this year as a team, it doesn't mean their record will reflect it. Forty-one of the last 60 teams to win 12-plus games have fallen below that mark the following year, according to PFF, and Baltimore has only recorded 12-plus wins once in team history.
The schedule doesn't help, either. The Ravens have the easiest strength of schedule based on 2019 records, but many of those teams have dramatically improved - 11 of Baltimore's 16 opponents are expected to win more games than they did a year ago, and eight are projected to make the playoffs.
Best bet
The chances of Baltimore reaching last year's 14-win mark are slim. But this win total leaves plenty of room for error. The Ravens obliterated opponents last year and still have an elite offense, defense, special teams, and coaching staff. At plus-money, the over is an easy call.
C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.