Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts Betting Preview
Opening Line: Ravens +6.5 / Colts -6.5 O/U 44
Time: 8:15 PM EST Saturday January 16. 2010 on CBS
This Saturday in an AFC playoff match up the Indianapolis Colts host the Baltimore Ravens. MVP Peyton Manning and the Colts lost their last 2 games of the season, but that was without Manning at the helm and a banged up WR Reggie Wayne. Wayne is healthy and the Colts' passing offense, which averaged 282.2 yards this season will be tough to stop. The Ravens did beat the Patriots last week in the Wild card game, holding the Pats to only 196 yards of total offense, but can they do the same this week? They have to play stellar defense and run the ball well to have any chance at the upset in this game.
This season the Colts were 7-1 at home and 9-6-1 ATS and the Ravens were 3-5 on the road and 8-6-2 ATS.
The Colts were 3-5 ATS at home this season and the Ravens were 6-2 in away games this season.
Manning (4,500 yds 33 TD 16 INT) leads a potent Colts' offense that averaged over 360 yards per game and scored an average of 26 points per game. Manning's main targets are the potent duo of WR Reggie Wayne and TE Dallas Clark, who each had over 1,100 yards receiving this season and each had 10 TD's. Manning could really use some help from RB Joeseph Addai, who only averaged 3.8 yards per carry this season. The Colts will be facing a Baltimore defense that ranked 3rd in the league this season and is solid at defending both the pass and the run. The Ravens' D has to pressure Manning, but that will not be easy facing, perhaps, the best offensive line in the league, which only gave up 13 sacks all season.
Joe Flacco leads the Ravens, but their rushing attack is their strength on offense. In the win over New England last week Flacco 4/10 for 34 passing yards with 0 TD's and 1 INT last week. Baltimore needs RB's Ray Rice (1,339 yds 7 TD) and Willis McGahee (544 yds 12 TD) to run the ball like they did in the win over the Patriots when they combined for 221 rushing yards and 3 TD. They will be facing a Colts' defense that ranked 18th in the league this season, but had trouble stuffing the run giving up an average of 126.5 rushing yards per game. If the Colts can play solid D against the run they should win this game.