- The Baltimore Ravens lost an overtime thriller to Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders.
- They face off against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
- The absence of CB Marcus Peters could be devastating for the Ravens against Patrick Mahomes.
BALTIMORE, Md. - The Baltimore Ravens, straight off of a tough Monday Night Football loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, face off against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
It wasn’t just the Ravens who were involved in a very close contest in Week 1, with the Chiefs squeaking out a comeback win against the Cleveland Browns.
The Chiefs pulled off an elite level comeback as only they can, with explosive plays from Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.
The Ravens, meanwhile, suffered from the loss of Marcus Peters, as Derek Carr passed for 435 yards, the most by any quarterback in Week 1 this year, shocking the Ravens as well as online gambling markets.
This matchup is expected to be a playoff preview, but if the Ravens go to 0-2, there might need to be some hand-wringing and soul-searching in Baltimore.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens
- Kansas City Chiefs -4.0 (-115)
- Baltimore Ravens +4.0 (-105)
The Chiefs are favored by four points on the spread, which is as much as the Ravens were favored by against the Raiders.
There does appear to be a potential for further movement towards the Chiefs, as the spread is shaded a bit in their direction.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if this line moved to Chiefs -4.5 as the NFL betting community got late money in on the Chiefs.
Ravens Injury Woes Hard To Ignore
The story of the season for the Ravens could end up being one of injury. They lost RBs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, and are now rostering Ty’Son Williams, Le'Veon Bell, Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman.
For fantasy football players, this backfield has quickly become a minefield, as it seems clear the Ravens are going to run the ball by committee.
Roman said Ty’Son Williams’ usage in second half was more a reflection of wanting to get other RBs involved. Said the days of one back playing whole game are over.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) September 16, 2021
Greg Roman, the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, was eminently clear that he does not see any single running back taking over the job.
Potentially more dangerous to the Ravens’ chances of winning is the injury to CB Marcus Peters, one of the best defensive players on the team.
Peters’ absence contributed to Derek Carr’s torching of the Ravens secondary, and Patrick Mahomes is a far better quarterback with far better weapons.
The Ravens are the home team, which is why the spread is sitting around -4.0 instead of favoring the Chiefs by a touchdown or so.
Still, this matchup could mark the beginning of a tough season for the Baltimore squad.