Ravens No Longer a Shoe-In for Playoffs

The Baltimore Ravens were long-cindered a lock to make the playoffs with their combination of talent and coaching. And while they still lead the AFC North with an 8-4 record, there are far from a lock to earn a spot in the postseason. 

The AFC playoff picture got a lot murkier in Week 13 when the Steelers beat the Ravens 20-19 after a failed 2-pt conversion as time wound down. Now, the Ravens, as underdogs, will be facing off against another AFC North rival in the 6-6 Cleveland Browns. A Ravens loss here would be pretty devastating and would move Baltimore’s record to 8-5. With the injuries that the Ravens are dealing with, a loss to Cleveland might spell the beginning of the end. A win for the Ravens would send the Browns falling back in the division and out of the playoff picture. 

According to a tweet from ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, last week the Ravens had the best record in the AFC and the best odds to make the playoffs. After their loss to the Steelers, however, the Ravens are now the 4th most likely team to finish with the best record and nab the No. 1 seed. The Patriots, Titans, and Chiefs all have a better statistical chance now to take over the top spot according to ESPN’s Power Index. 

Aside from the Browns, the Ravens will have to face off against the Packers at home, then hit the road to lay the Bengals before coming back to Baltimore to play the Rams and Steelers. This leaves three difficult and pivotal divisional games against the Browns, Bengals and Steelers to make it through. As we’ve seen, the Steelers could be a problem again and the Browns have the tools to win. If only they could figure out how to use them. 

As of this writing, the Ravens (+650) are fourth in the odds to win the AFC Championship outright. The Chiefs lead the pack with +300 odds followed by the New England Patriots (+350), the Buffalo Bills (+500). John Harbaugh’s team is still the betting favorite to win the AFC North at -155 according to WynnBET Sportsbook. The Bengals are second at +240 with the Browns (+625) and Steelers (+1000) bringing up the rear.

While it’s a bit of a long shot right now, there are many scenarios where the Ravens can get bumped out of the playoffs. A loss to the Browns this weekend would be a big step toward that negative outcome. So, if you think they are going to lose as the oddsmakers predict, a bet for them to miss the playoffs at plus money odds isn’t the worst idea in the world. Especially with two more division games in the next three weeks to deal with along with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.