Ravens Begin Tough Road Stretch, Visit Colts
After a big game against his former club, can Steve Smith help the Ravens win in Indianapolis?
The Baltimore Ravens will look to make it four wins on the bounce as they visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.
The matchup pits two potential postseason contenders against each other, with both sides looking to improve their standing and earn bragging rights in the process.
The Story So Far
Opening the season with three straight divisional games, Baltimore (3-1, 1-0 road) bounced back from an opening week loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. Beginning the divisional campaign 2-1 is no shabby feat in the AFC North.
This past weekend, the Ravens took on a Carolina Panthers team that had shown potential early in the season but now looks to be an uncertain prospect. Against his old team, wide receiver Steve Smith pulled in seven passes for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns in what turned out to be a 38-10 rout in favor of the Ravens.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh will be happy with a 3-1 start but will also be aware that his side is about to enter a particularly tricky stretch; the Ravens play four of their next five on the road, a jaunt that includes trips to Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and on Sunday, Indianapolis.
Indianapolis (2-2, 1-1 home) enters Sunday’s game with the league’s No. 1 offense but only a .500 record to show for it.
Back-to-back losses to the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles have almost been forgotten thanks to lopsided victories over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans, a winning streak that has seen the Colts outscore their opponents to the tune of 85-34.
The Ravens mark a noticeable step up in competition than those AFC South teams, and Andrew Luck and company will be looking to prove they can do it against a contender.
The AFC Landscape
Both the Ravens and Colts have legitimate shots at winning their divisions. Right now, Bovada has the Colts as the odds on favorite in the AFC South, while the Ravens sit just behind the Bengals in the AFC North.
The sportsbook also has both teams in its top six AFC teams, that is to say those it believes will make the postseason. With the NFC appearing to be much stronger, the Ravens just miss out on the top 10 NFL teams, while the Colts sit tied at No. 8.
With expectation growing, both teams will look to use Sunday afternoon’s game as an opportunity to stake a claim for future success.
Head-to-Head
Indianapolis leads the all-time head-to-head series 9-4.
Baltimore has secured two straight victories in the series, including a 24-9 victory when the two sides met in the AFC Wild Card Game back in January 2013.
Ravens fans should look away now though; the Colts are 5-0 against Baltimore when playing in Indianapolis, and have limited the Ravens to six total points in their last two trips to the Circle City.
Injury Report
Baltimore tackle Eugene Monroe (knee) is out of Sunday’s game. Defensive ends Terrell Suggs (thigh) and Chris Canty (illness) are both listed as questionable. Both will likely be a game-time decision.
Indianapolis will be without defensive tackle Arthur Jones (ankle), who is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. Linebacker Jerrell Freeman (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday’s game.
Safety LaRon Landry will begin a four-game PED-related suspension this weekend, with Sergio Brown expected to make the jump from the Colts’ special teams unit.
Check out the full injury list
Baltimore defensive end Terrell Suggs is questionable for the game.
Betting Report
Below you’ll find Betting Sports’ breakdown of odds and betting trends.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts odds for 10/05/2014
Moneyline: Indianapolis (-188) opened as the favorite over Baltimore (+169) on the moneyline, a line that has remained fairly static in the ensuing days.
Baltimore will need to earn its first ever victory in Indianapolis if it’s to beat that line.
Spread: The spread opened at 3 in favor of the Colts and like the moneyline has stayed fairly consistent.
Both Baltimore (3-1-0 ATS) and Indianapolis (3-1-0 ATS) have had some early success against the spread but history tells us that the Colts will be worth backing on Sunday.
Indianapolis is 8-1-0 ATS in its last nine games against Baltimore, and has covered in the last three the sides have played in Indianapolis.
Total: The total opened at 46.5 and has steadily climbed. At the time of writing bettors could place an over/under bet at 49 points.
Baltimore (2-2-0 O/U) has split the over/under evenly in the first month of the season. Indianapolis (4-0-0 O/U) meanwhile has seen the total cash in every game this season.
The under may be the sensible bet on Sunday though. The under has paid out in five straight games in the head-to-head series and in nine of the last 10. Baltimore’s last four trips to Indianapolis have finished with the under paying out.
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