Between the Lamar Jackson injury concern and Atlanta’s statement win on Monday night, the Ravens are suddenly looking at Week 5 from an unfamiliar spot: as underdogs.
Baltimore opened as the favorite for its trip to Atlanta right after beating the Titans on Sunday afternoon. But the Falcons’ 45-24 rout of the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football changed the picture fast, and Tuesday morning’s negative update on Jackson pushed the line the other way. Per FanDuel Sportsbook, the Ravens are now three-point underdogs for the first time this season.
That’s a notable shift for a Ravens team that was outscored 14-0 by Tennessee after Jackson left the game in the second half. Tyler Huntley has pulled off gritty wins before, but the setup this time looks far less forgiving: a battered offensive line, no top blocking tight end Durham Smythe, and a Falcons defense that has been excellent against the run.
Atlanta, meanwhile, comes in with an offense that looked comfortable moving the ball at will against New Orleans. Bijan Robinson has been unstoppable so far this year - and, for that matter, so was Brian Robinson Jr. in New Orleans.
Baltimore’s injury concerns may not stop there. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey exited Sunday’s game with a calf injury, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson could need more time after finger surgery.
Put it together, and this feels like a difficult spot for the Ravens. At this point in the season, simply getting out of Atlanta healthy might matter more than the result itself.
A 3-2 record is manageable. More hits to key players are not.
In Other News...
Braves Just Made A Desperate Lineup Bet In A Must Win Game
Michael Harris II is at the top of the Braves lineup for an upcoming playoff game against the Dodgers, a clear sign Atlanta is leaning into a different look as it tries to keep its season moving. Ronald Acua Jr. is back in right field, giving the Braves their usual jolt in the outfield and another piece of star power in a matchup where every tweak matters.
Los Angeles is answering with its own changes, putting Mookie Betts back in the leadoff spot and sliding Shohei Ohtani into cleanup. The game will also have a different voice on the call, with Brandon Gaudin filling in for Joe Davis, but the bigger focus is on how both clubs have shuffled their cards for a postseason game that already feels loaded with pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Are Suddenly One Loss From A Brutal Dodgers Exit
The Braves had chances early, but they could not cash in against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and that left them chasing the game for most of the night in a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series. Chris Sale gave Atlanta five innings and allowed three runs, but the combination of missed opportunities and a dominant outing from Yamamoto, who struck out 10 over seven innings, tilted the series back in Los Angeles favor.
Now Atlanta heads into Game 4 facing elimination, with Tyler Mahle expected to take the ball as the margin for error disappears. The Braves have already put themselves in a difficult spot by dropping behind 2-1, and the next game will ask them to do what they have not done enough of so far in the series: turn early traffic on the bases into the kind of breakthrough inning that can keep their postseason alive. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Have Exposed A Costly Dodgers NLDS Problem
Miguel Rojas night in Game 3 of the NLDS ended early, and it added another layer of uncertainty to a Dodgers lineup already trying to keep pace with the Braves. Los Angeles said the veteran infielder was taken out because of low back pain after fouling a pitch in the eighth inning, with the issue apparently dating back to an earlier play when he was fielding a ground ball in the fifth.
For Atlanta, any hit to the Dodgers infield depth is the kind of opening a postseason opponent watches closely. Rojas has long been valued for the steadiness he brings on defense and the flexibility he gives Los Angeles, so the bigger concern now is not just whether he can finish the series, but whether the Dodgers have to rethink how they manage the rest of their postseason roster if the back issue lingers. [Read more 🡒]