Will the Ravens remain the Cowboys’ nemesis?
“Bem vindo ao Brasil” is the motto for our Cowboys vs. Ravens tip on Sunday. That’s when these two NFL heavyweights will head south for the third time to face off at Rio de Janeiro’s famous Maracanã Stadium.
But aside from a few (field) goals, we expect touchdowns above all else when two such potent offenses take the field. The Ravens average 29.0 points, the Cowboys 28.5, which promises plenty of scoring in the Brazil Game and thus brings over-point picks into play—that’s our prediction for Cowboys vs. Ravens.
The Ravens enter the game as favorites. While the Cowboys have incredible home-field strength and just defeated the Commanders at home again last weekend, we don’t think home-field advantage will play a role in Brazil.
What matters far more is that one of the best rushing offenses (the Ravens) is facing one of the weakest rushing defenses (the Cowboys). It’s a lopsided matchup set to take place in Rio on Sunday at 10:25 p.m. German time.
In addition to over/under bets on the game and on the Ravens—who are going to really hurt the Cowboys’ run defense—the odds on the Ravens -3.5 for Dallas vs. Baltimore are therefore a solid bet. We don’t expect the Cowboys to be able to stop this offense—the opposite is more likely to be the case.
Dallas Cowboys – Baltimore Ravens Head-to-Head Record
When we talk about a team the Cowboys really struggle against in the NFL, it’s definitely the Ravens. Dallas has only beaten Baltimore once, and that was ten years ago. Away from AT&T Stadium (which is the case this time in Rio), they’ve never managed to do so.
In addition to their vulnerability against the run, this is another factor that favors Baltimore on Sunday. To capitalize on this, however, they’ll need to rely on Derrick Henry throughout the entire game and not stop running at some point in the second half, as happened against the Saints.
Dallas Cowboys – Baltimore Ravens Pick
The Ravens, led by Lamar Jackson, got off to a very strong start to the season but then lost some control as the game against New Orleans progressed. It’s fortunate for them that they’re now facing a weak Cowboys defense, which will also be severely hampered by injuries (Hooker, Overshown, Locke, and Durant are all out on defense).
So for Dallas vs. Baltimore, our top betting recommendation is the Ravens -3.5. This is closely followed by over/under bets. We think these are highly likely, though the “Brazil factor” still comes into play here. The recent game against Australia once again showed that some teams seem a bit more fatigued than others when playing on a different continent.
When it comes to player bets, there’s no getting around a touchdown bet on Derrick Henry. We’ve already discussed the Ravens’ strong rushing offense, and if anyone is going to find the end zone, it’s Henry. He’s already done so four times this season in just two games.
