New York Jets vs. Baltimore Ravens Week 15 Pick

The New York Jets face the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football. The Ravens are as hot as it gets, coming off their ninth straight win with a 24-17 road win against the tough Bills on Sunday. They look to add another brick to their postseason cause, with the Jets coming to town. The Jets have been showing some life, winning their fourth out of five games with a 22-21 win over the Dolphins last week. Showing some spark on both sides of the ball, they look to maybe be a more-worthy opponent than some suspect this week. Can they make a run at this number on the road?

The Price of Being a Naysayer

In the past handful of weeks and even looking forward, there are going to be some good cases to be made against the Ravens from an ATS standpoint. Even against a good Buffalo team on the road, facing a good defense, they still managed to get the win and cover. Whatever the location or opponent, they keep getting it done. And even with the hype-machine on overdrive and the value not figuring to be great, they still cover—having missed one spread since week 6. So as we explore the Jets’ winning ATS case, let’s not forget who the opponent is.

Advantages for the Ravens

They are not just a high-powered team that lives or dies as a frontrunner. Against Buffalo and at other times this season, they smartly manufactured points, resourcefully getting the most of what they have. Despite the raging success and not a ton of overall urgency, the Ravens aren’t slowing down. They seem hungry and aren’t leaving anything out there. In a way, it’s precisely the kind of team you want to bet on.

The Jets’ defense does some nice things, but it’s hardly a puzzle this Baltimore group shouldn’t be able to solve. While Lamar Jackson didn’t thrive aerially against Buffalo, he should have a much easier time this week against a Jets’ secondary that isn’t always up-to-snuff. And while a lot of people talk about the Ravens’ offense, the defense could be what ends up winning them a championship. After another good showing on Sunday, the thought of them hitting their peak late in the season as they did last year should be terrifying to opponents. And it should scare a road Jets’ offense that might struggle to find a lot of rhythm in this spot.

Jets Better Than You Think?

I don’t think a ton of people are taking into account the Jets’ recent spurt. And why would they? With all the high-profile news in the league, who wants to focus on a nowhere-bound team getting on a little roll? And in their last six weeks, they haven’t precisely blazed a path of glory in splitting two with Miami and needing a last-second FG to do it last week, with a 16-point loss to the winless Bengals, along with wins over Washington, Oakland, and the Giants. But four wins in 5 games says something. Both sides of the ball are playing better. Darnold has gotten into more of a rhythm the last several weeks, different weapons are stepping up, and the Jets’ front on defense is really coming along.

Answers for the Jets?

With Mark Andrews out of action, Baltimore loses a lot of their aerial spark. And it’s not an area where their firepower is that great. I think their run game and just the overall form of Jackson makes some forget that Jackson doesn’t have a ton of reliable targets to exploit aerially. They’re going to have to run the ball a lot, and that’s an area where the Jets can potentially hang in there a little bit. Perhaps they can do a bit of what Buffalo did last week with that strong front. But Buffalo’s secondary is a lot better. Still, there’s a chance it might not hurt them a ton in this game.