Vikings vs. Ravens NFL Week 9 Picks and Expert Insights (Archive)
Heading into Week 9, the Minnesota Vikings are 3-4 after losing to the Dallas Cowboys at home. Now, Kirk Cousins and company will hit the road to take on the Baltimore Ravens, who will be looking to redeem themselves after a brutal loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. Which team will get back on track? Below, we’ll take a look at the early NFL odds and best sportsbooks to bet with.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, November 7, 2021 – 1:00 PM EDT at M&T Bank Stadium
The Vikings entered last week as a 4- favorite but are the underdogs for this matchup. As for the Ravens, they were 6.5-point favorites in Week 9 and continue to be the favored team for this week. According to Bovada (visit our Bovada Review), Baltimore is a 5-point favorite over Minnesota with the over/under at 49.5.
The Matchup
Before taking on the Cowboys, Minnesota lost three of their first four games, taking down the Seattle Seahawks while losing to the Bengals, Cardinals, and Browns. They also beat the Lions and Panthers––two teams they were supposed to. The Vikings took home a 20-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football
Quarterback Kirk Cousins was outperformed by Dallas backup QB Cooper Rush and he did not like that. Cousins finished the night with 184 yards, which marked his first game of the year that he had under 200 passing yards along with just one touchdown. And for the third time this season, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was held under 100 rushing yards as he finished with 78 yards on 18 carries.
Minnesota lost three of their first four games, with their first win coming against the Seattle Seahawks while losing to the Bengals, Cardinals, and Browns. They also beat the Lions and Panthers––two teams they were supposed to beat. In Ravens country, they kicked off their season with an OT loss to the Raiders, but then managed five straight victories over the Chiefs, Lions, Broncos, Colts, and Chargers.
Similar to Minnesota, the Ravens’ most recent story wasn’t any better as they took their first blowout loss of the season, losing 41-17 to the Bengals in Week 7. During that game, Lamar Jackson was just 15-for-31 passing for 257 yards and 1 score while also leading the rush with 88 yards on 12 carries. Top receivers Marquise Brown and Rashod Bateman both had 80 receiving yards with Bateman wrapping his up in just 3 catches on 6 targets.
Prediction
This game will be an intriguing one to watch and see if the Ravens have it in them to bounce back. Lamar Jackson has been playing at an MVP level but things just didn’t mesh against Cincy. Their defense is also (normally) balling and is currently tied for second in the league in pressure rate (27%).
They’ll be up against a Minnesota team that has been inconsistent all year and lost weapons on both sides of the ball, its a perfect time to bounce back after a week’s worth of rest. However, the Vikings are not afraid to put a fight. Baltimore wins, but Minnesota covers as they’ve been able to keep things close all season.
NFL Pick: Minnesota Vikings +5 (-110) with Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.