Lamar Jackson’s return will hang over Wednesday’s Ravens practice, and the betting market is already treating that uncertainty like it matters.
Baltimore has been without its quarterback since the first half of Week 4 because of an ankle injury, and his Week 7 status figures to come into sharper focus when the Ravens get on the field for the first time this week. Head coach Jesse Minter has kept Jackson listed as "day-to-day," and even with reports last week suggesting he had a shot to play against the Cleveland Browns, he never practiced.
The Ravens are 4-2 and staring at a major AFC North test against the 3-2 Bengals and Joe Burrow, which is exactly why Jackson’s availability is moving the line. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said earlier this week that his "guess" is that Jackson makes his return to the lienup on Sunday.
Oddsmakers opened Sunday night with Baltimore as a three-point home favorite, a number that suggested Jackson had a real chance to be out there. By Tuesday, DraftKings Sportsbook had nudged the Ravens down to 2.5-point favorites, with Baltimore sitting at -148 on the moneyline. It was a small move, but not a meaningless one, especially after the market swung hard in Baltimore’s game against Cleveland last week.
Then Wednesday morning brought another shift, with the Ravens back up to 3-point favorites at DraftKings, though the number was only -102 to cover. If Jackson doesn’t practice, that line could still tilt toward Burrow and the Bengals before Thursday’s session. DraftKings also has 69 percent of the moneyline bets in the game on Cincinnati to win outright.
Jackson’s numbers this season explain why the market keeps reacting. In four games, he’s completed 70.8 percent of his passes for 967 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. He’s added 19 carries for 144 yards and a score, while leading the NFL in yards per attempt, yards per completion and passer rating.
Before leaving the Week 4 game against Tennessee, Jackson turned in a strong first half. Since then, he’s missed a win over Atlanta and a loss to Cleveland.
Tyler Huntley has handled the quarterback duties in Jackson’s absence, and Baltimore has gone 3-1 in Huntley’s last four starts. Even so, the Ravens are only 7-12 all-time when Jackson doesn’t play, and Huntley had a rough outing in Week 6, throwing for 165 yards and a touchdown in a 13-10 loss to Cleveland.
Wednesday’s practice should tell the next part of the story, and it could end up shaping the final line for Sunday’s AFC North showdown.
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