Another exciting NFL weekend has come and gone but before it finishes there is one match left to be played which as always is the Monday Night Football. Gillette Stadium in Foxboro is the venue as the AFC East leading New England Patriots host the Baltimore Ravens who went into the week on top of the AFC North.
It looks like the Patriots are going to cruise to another division title but the number one seed in the Conference is less certain and they will need to keep on winning in order to secure that spot. Pittsburgh overtook Baltimore with their win on Sunday so the Ravens need to respond in kind to stay in front in the North.
New England Patriots
The Patriots head into this match off the back of three successive wins although the three sides they have beaten in those matches only have nine wins between them on the season so how much we can take from that remains to be seen. One thing we do know is the Patriots often find a way to get the job done and that can never be underestimated.
It will be interesting to see how they get the job done here though because they are set to be without some key players not least the reliable go to man in the passing game in Rob Gronkowski. A couple of defensive players are missing and some other big players are questionable so the depth chart of the Patriots will need to come into play here.
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore head into this match off the back of four wins in their last five matches with the game they slipped up in being against the Dallas Cowboys and there is clearly no big issue with that. That all sounds good but I’m sure everyone connected with the Ravens will know that the only sides they have beaten on the road this season are Jacksonville and Cleveland – not much of a form guide.
One area where the Ravens might take encouragement is that it looked like they might be gaining some momentum on offense last week. Joe Flacco threw for a season high 381 yards in a demolition of the Miami Dolphins and if the offense can turn up and play they have a defence strong enough to provide real support.
Betting
Conditions could have a big bearing on this match. A snow storm is expected to go through the area the night before the game and even if it isn’t snowing during the game it is likely to have left a soaking wet field which probably won’t help the New England Patriots.
I say that because the Baltimore Ravens have the best run defence in the league so they will be quite happy for this to turn into a shootout on the ground. The Patriots are missing a couple of players in their run defence so that definitely plays into the hands of the Ravens as does the injuries to Gronkowski and Danny Amendola. The Ravens are currently getting a touchdown start but I think this could be closer than that.
With this likely to turn into something of a war of attrition and a defensive battle I fancy we’ll see a few field goals in this one. Both sides have reliable kickers in Stephen Gostkowski and Justin Tucker and they are adept at kicking from distance too so if drives are ended prematurely these two can come to the fore. At even money over 3.5 field goals is worth taking.
Tips
PUSH – Back Baltimore Ravens (+7) to beat New England Patriots for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Bwin
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Back Over 3.5 field goals for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Ladbrokes
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