Categories
NFL

Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts Gambling Prediction & AFC Wild Card Preview

Colts vs. Ravens NFL Football Spread/Handicapping

People want to make a big deal about the Baltimore historical angle for this one but who cares.  What is more interesting is whether Ray Lewis is going to let a rookie QB end his career.  How much more Luck is left in that horseshoe?

Indianapolis Colts (11-5) vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday January 6
M&T Bank Field – Baltimore, MD
1:00PM
Moneyline:  Baltimore -270, Indianapolis +230 from Bovada
Spread:  Baltimore -7
O/U:  47

ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!

Check out our in-house Handicapper!!! Buy Razor Ray’s Picks Today!

Indianapolis

The story of the Colts continues into the playoffs.  It just goes to show what having a quality quarterback can do for a franchise.  Indy is the underdog in this one and rightfully so, as good as their story is you are dealing with a QB and a coach who are experiencing this all for the first time in these roles.

Usually there is a learning curve for the playoffs…QB Andrew Luck has been a revelation for the Colts, having one of the most impressive rookies seasons ever.
CLICK TO GRAB OUR BEST Expert NFL Picks for 2013 NFL PLAYOFFS Betting!
He does have a special quality to him but lets not forget that the surrounding talent is not overly impressive.  The running game is mediocre at best and even though receiver Reggie Wayne has had a great career he is not currently considered among elite receivers in the league.

The Colts are more than the sum of their parts but I am not sure that is enough for this group’s first playoff foray…

Heading into last week the Colts had the trend of covering when they win and not when they lose.

They did it again and I think that trend will continue this week.  The question is which way to play it – see below for score prediction.

Baltimore

The Ravens aren’t exactly strutting into the playoffs this year.  They finished with the same record as the Bengals after losing to them last week  and Ray Lewis just announced he is retiring at season’s end. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

They have lost 4 of 5 heading into this one with the lone win against the struggling Giants.  Can they change their momentum quickly against a less experienced team…When you look at the Ravens numbers you see a team in decline.

Their individual performances, notably QB Joe Flacco and RB Ray Rice were ho hum and their team numbers were mediocre.  They didn’t beat a single team that finished with a winning record after September.

They really took advantage of a light schedule after some early success…Even before the Ravens crashed in the second half they were hurting bettors.

For the season they finished 6-9 ATS.

I think a lot of it has to do with perception not matching reality with regards to Baltimore on the defensive side of the ball.

Spread Pick: Push
O/U Pick: Under
Score Prediction: Baltimore 24 – Indianapolis 17

By The Wiesguy

The Wiesguy is a newcomer to the handicapping scene. Hailing from Toronto, Canada he is always sweet on the underdogs and you can often find his thoughts, musings and picks at moneydogs.blogspot.com.