Baltimore Ravens As Favorite Betting Trend

The Ravens' struggles as favorites stem from their identity crisis between being a defensive powerhouse and an explosive offensive team. Baltimore has historically built its reputation on suffocating defense and grinding out wins, but when installed as favorites, the market often overvalues their ability to cover spreads in games where they're expected to dominate. This creates a psychological burden where the team plays not to lose rather than playing to their strengths. John Harbaugh's Ravens have consistently been better as underdogs or in close contests where their defensive intensity and opportunistic playmaking shine. When favored, particularly by larger margins, Baltimore tends to play conservatively once they establish a lead, allowing opponents to backdoor cover or keep games closer than the spread suggests. Their offensive inconsistency compounds this issue, as they've struggled to put teams away decisively even when controlling games. The coaching staff's tendency to rely heavily on their defense in comfortable situations often leads to prevent-style schemes that invite garbage-time scoring. This conservative approach, while winning games, rarely translates to covering spreads when expectations are elevated. This trend matters most when Baltimore is favored by more than a touchdown at home, where overconfidence historically peaks and their methodical approach becomes most problematic for bettors.