The players may change and the years change, but once again the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots will be playing in a meaningful playoff game this upcoming weekend. These two teams have met at Gillette Stadium in the last 3 of 4 postseasons, and the Ravens were a catch away from winning all three of these matchups and lets not also forget that the best sportsbooks in the world also had the Patriots as the favorite in each of these three games. So with a fourth match up looming this Thursday at 4:35 pm, which team has the edge in this game?
The Patriots were embarrassed in Kansas City on Monday night in the 4th week of the season, and most critics were saying, that was the beginning of the end for the Patriots’ AFC dominance. However, when you have a player like Tom Brady and a coach like Bill Belichick, comments like these only add fuel to the competitive fire so since that hiccup in week 4 the Patriots have gone 10-2 and have basically proven to be one of the best teams in Football. So if football fans think that the Patriots, who know they have struggled against the Ravens in the past, do not have an increased amount of incentive to beat the Ravens this weekend then they better think twice.
The biggest thing that jumps out about this Patriots team compared to past years is that they actually have a potent rushing attack. They were ranked 9th best in the league this year averaging 104.3 yards per game and they are getting production from a committee of players such as Jonas Gray, LaGarrette Blount, and Shane Vereen. If the Patriots can continue to get production from their running game, then the Patriots have a shot of finally getting back to the Super Bowl.
The Ravens have been an up and down team this year, however, there is no denying the fact that when this team gets hot then they are very tough to beat. There is always talk about if a player has that “It” factor in sports, but you rarely hear people talk about a team that has that “It” factor. Baltimore could very well be one of the best examples of a team that has that “It” factor because they are as tough as nails, have nerves of steel and ice in their veins. They may have been inconsistent during the regular season, however in the first game of the playoffs on the road in a hostile Pittsburgh environment they took it to the Steelers for a decisive 13 point win.
The best bookie software sites like www.AcePerHead.com in the world have the Patriots as a touchdown -7 point favorite. At the moment there is nearly double the amount of action on the Patriots than on the Ravens. It is still early in the week, so the line has plenty of time to fluctuate in either direction, however just based on the Ravens recent history of success in Foxboro, then I would suggest taking the Ravens and the points, because not only should it be a close game, but the Ravens have the power to pull off the upset as well.
