Ravens vs. Titans Week 6 Pick & Predictions

Baltimore Ravens (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS) vs. Tennessee Titans (2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS)

Week 6 NFL

Date/Time: Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 9:30AM EDT

Where: Tottenham Stadium, London, England

TV: NFL Net

Point Spread: BAL -3.5/TEN +3.5 (Bovada)

Money Line: BAL -170, TEN +145

Over/Under Total: 40

The Baltimore Ravens take on the Tennessee Titans Sunday morning in London in a key week 6 AFC battle from Tottenham Stadium. The Ravens came up short on Sunday to the Steelers in an error-filled 17-10 loss, now going off to London to face the Titans in a tricky long road trip across the pond. The Titans lost to the Colts, 23-16, on Sunday and really need a win to avoid falling too far behind. Who can get us the win and get our NFL Sunday off to a good early start?

All Over the Place

The Titans have really spanned the spectrum so far, blowing out the Bengals and beating the Chargers in OT, while getting blown out by the Browns and their loss to the Colts last week where their offense went into the tank late. Supposedly tough against the run, they also yielded a gigantic rushing day to Indy’s Zack Moss on Sunday. Their own run-game is muddled, with Derrick Henry fading into the background. They can get some production out of DeAndre Hopkins, but with fewer and fewer productive games from QB Ryan Tannehill, Henry no longer carrying the offense on his back, and no other compelling figures on this offense, it’s a drab situation. And with a secondary that is far from stingy along with a run-defense that now appears vulnerable, it’s hard to identify real areas of strength on this team. Still, with that 3-2 record against the spread, they have this underlying competence that makes them hard to disregard.

At 3-2, the Ravens have seen a similar trajectory despite having one more win. Two wins to open the season has led to a pair of ugly losses to non-elite forces in the Colts and Steelers, sandwiching a blowout win over the Browns, the same team that walloped the Titans. They have dealt with a ton of injuries, still seeing their defense play well in spots. And while it’s still early, we haven’t realty seen much newness in this offense, with QB Lamar Jackson doing most of the heavy lifting, without anyone really standing out among the lot just yet. They still have that good offensive line, which lets them run regardless of who is back there getting looks. Jackson can still make things happen. But against Indy and Pittsburgh, things got pretty ugly on the offensive side of the ball. With a pick and a fumble being costly, I’d look for Jackson to be looking to atone this week.

Can Baltimore Move the Ball This Week?

One game alone doesn’t make it so, but I wonder if the Tennessee run-defense is really all that good. When pitted against a good O-line like what they saw last week and what they will see in London on Sunday, maybe we see that part of their profile wane a bit. Justice Hill and Gus Edwards won’t get anyone’s blood pumping, but along with that line and Lamar cranking out runs, maybe that aspect of their game can better surface. We’re also seeing Mark Andrews get healthier, rookie WR Zay Flowers getting more comfortable, and veteran Nelson Agholor getting a lot of grabs. If Odell Beckham, Jr. can get untracked or Rashod Bateman rediscovers his form, who knows? It’s still hard to feel great after coming up with one TD last week. This matchup should be more to their liking.

Bad Matchup for Tennessee?

Injuries may have taken a small chunk out of this Baltimore defense, but we’re still seeing them stay strong, even when the offense is not holding up their end of the deal. They can still get after the quarterback and make big plays throughout this unit. Other than the gradual deterioration of the Tennessee O-line. it’s unclear exactly how we got to this point suddenly where Henry is no longer the lynchpin of this offense. Having offensive success riding on the Tannehill-to-Hopkins connection doesn’t seem promising. Against these kinds of problematic offenses, Baltimore’s defense is in a position to maybe control the game.

There are still areas of hope for the Titans. We’ve seen receivers getting open against this Baltimore defense and Tennessee has a lot of role receivers in addition to Hopkins who are capable of spike-weeks. Henry could always spring to life, something we’ve seen him do before in this particular matchup, that one playoff game years ago coming to mind when Baltimore was the top seed in the AFC. They seem to always be a little better than what their individual parts suggest, too, which makes it difficult. It’s not like Baltimore has some surefire offense. And their “D” isn’t in prime condition with the personnel setbacks. At the same time, Tennessee’s lack of big-play ability on offense and some diminishing returns on the other side of the ball make them the kind of opponent Baltimore wants to see right now for a get-well spot.

Lay the Points

Both teams are in a mode where they need to stop the bleeding before things get too carried away. Baltimore is in danger of blowing their good start, but I think being in a better matchup in terms of the defense they will be facing could pay off for their inconsistent offense. Tennessee’s offense could continue to languish against a Baltimore “D” that can still be stingy. Tennessee isn’t a team you want to face if you’re making a ton of miscues. If Jackson and this offense can clean it up a little, I see them getting out of London on Sunday with the win and the cover.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Baltimore Ravens minus 3.5 points.