Texans vs Ravens Betting Preview: Baltimore Favored by Double Digits
CJ Stroud to Make Debut for Texans
All eyes will be on the quarterbacks when the Houston Texans visit the Baltimore Ravens. Fans will get their first regular season look at Houston’s CJ Stroud, who was taken No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. For Baltimore, Lamar Jackson and his $260 million contract are getting the attention. Nobody will deny Jackson is good. But there aren’t many people who will argue he deserves to be the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. Since the NFL is a team sport, quarterback is just part of the equation—a very visible one, but still just one piece of the puzzle. The Texans vs Ravens betting preview will look at the quarterbacks and much more.
Houston Texans vs Baltimore Ravens 
Date & Time:
Line: Baltimore -10
Total: 43.5
Streaming: CBS
The Ravens opened as 10-point favorites on the NFL point spreads, and the line has basically stayed there. The total is 43.5, down a couple of points from the opening number of 46. The Ravens are -500 on the moneyline. Baltimore is the first double-digit NFL Week 1 favorite since 2019 and the 26th dating back to the 1990 season. These teams have gone just 11-14 against the spread and 14-11 in totals.
Houston Counting on Prized Rookies
Stroud isn’t the only rookie expected to make an impact for Houston. The Texans also traded up to grab defensive end Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3 overall. Anderson should benefit from new head coach DeMeco Ryans, who spent the last couple of seasons as the defensive coordinator for San Francisco.
Offensively, Stroud is going to have his share of rookie mistakes. But he has much more big-play potential than Davis Mills. Stroud may not have been the best pick at No. 2, but Houston needed to do something at quarterback. Only the Denver Broncos scored fewer points than the Ravens.
It would be nice if the Texans had a running game to take some pressure off Stroud. But Houston was No. 31 in rushing last season. The Texans were No. 25 in passing, so it’s no surprise to see the team No. 31 in total offense.
Defensively, the Texans were No. 27 in points allowed. Houston was No. 10 in pass defense. But that’s because the team was so easy to run against, finishing dead last by allowing more than 170 yards per game. Ryans should change things up a bit, and hopefully, the Texans will be better. You can’t get much worse when you have NFL team records of 4-13 and 3-13-1, as Houston has the last two years.
Baltimore Defense Flies Under the Radar
When the Baltimore Ravens are mentioned, Jackson is the first player to come to mind. He’s a solid passer, and he led the Ravens with 764 rushing yards last year. But the key to Baltimore’s success last season was the defense. Baltimore allowed 18.5 points per game, which was third-best in the NFL. The Ravens were third in rushing defense and tied for No. 9 in pass defense. The Ravens were 3-6 when they allowed 20 or more points. Baltimore was 8-2 when allowing fewer than 20 points. They were also 0-10 in total.
Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has fared pretty well against rookie quarterbacks. Baltimore is 14-2 straight-up when facing a first-year QB. Stroud isn’t your typical rookie quarterback, but rookies seldom come in and shine right away.
Offensively, Jackson played in just 12 games before winding up on the NFL injury report, so Baltimore’s stats are a bit lower than in previous seasons. Baltimore was No. 19 in scoring, No. 2 in rushing, and No. 28 in passing. Those numbers should pick up a bit this season. The Ravens don’t have to be great offensively. They just have to be good and not make mistakes. The defense will take care of the rest.
Who to Bet On?
The Texans vs Ravens betting preview notes the Baltimore Ravens have been terrible favorites the past two seasons. While Baltimore is 14-9 straight-up, the Ravens are just 7-16 against the spread. It’s even worse as a home favorite, where Baltimore is 3-10 against the number.
Houston has been 15-15-3 ATS as an underdog the past two seasons, which is respectable. There isn’t much difference between home and away, with the Texans 8-7-2 on the road and 7-8-1 as a home underdog.
It’s never easy laying more than a touchdown in the NFL, and that’s the case here. Especially when you factor in how poorly the Ravens have been as a favorite recently. But the total is a different story. Baltimore is 7-16 in totals as a favorite in the last two seasons. The previous two seasons have seen Baltimore go 0-15 in totals when holding foes to fewer than 20 points.
The Texans vs Ravens betting preview says to take the under 43.5 in this game.
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