NFL
NFL week three preview: Ravens can bounce back
Two weeks down in the new NFL season and we’ve already had all the thrills and spills that the competition is well-known for. Whether it was the shocking kicking in week one or the unthinkable comebacks in week two, the first couple of sets of fixtures have just about had it all.
The fact that there are just six undefeated teams left shows the competitiveness of the league this year and it’s really anyone’s for the taking at this stage.
Here’s our preview of a couple of week three encounters.
Two undefeated AFC East rivals do battle
As mentioned, there are six teams that are two-from-two so far and two of them, the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, go head-to-head on Sunday.
The Bills, the 4/1 favourites for the Super Bowl, have started the new season in pretty impressive fashion dismantling reigning Super Bowl winners the Los Angeles Rams 31-10 before a dominant performance against Tennessee on Monday Night Football.
Josh Allen looks very much a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in-waiting and with Stefon Diggs another on the top of his game, this is an offence littered with stars. The fact they’ve given up just 17 points so far – the second lowest in the league – shows they are equally as strong on the other side of the ball and you feel they are destined to go very close this year.
After their fast start to the season, the Bills are 2/5 to win this on the Money Line and 10/11 to cover the 6 point spread.
In Miami, though, they take on a side full of confidence. Having beaten another AFC East rival in New England in week one, they remarkably beat Baltimore last weekend having been 35-14 down through three quarters. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 469 yards on route to a career best six touchdowns and they look the best they’ve looked in years.
The addition of Tyreek Hill has given them a new dimension on offence and they’ll fancy their chances with homefield advantage. They are 21/10 on the Money Line and 10/11 with the 6-point advantage.
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Ravens travel to Gillette Stadium
Another interesting match-up comes from Gillette Stadium where the Baltimore Ravens travel to take on the New England Patriots with both sides possessing 1-1 records.
The Patriots got off the mark against Pittsburgh last time out in a pretty drab affair in which neither side really got going. We all know that New England have a strong defence but their offence is really struggling to move the ball at the moment with quarterback Mac Jones clearly frustrated about a lack of cutting edge from his receivers and running-backs. A team coached by Bill Belichick is one that always has to be feared and respected, but he must surely admit that they need a serious upsurge in performance here.
His team are 13/10 for victory on the Money Line and 5/6 with the points spread.
Baltimore must have been rattled by the epic collapse against the Dolphins, but it might have just been one of those freak periods when everything Miami did worked. Moreover, it can’t be missed that Baltimore dominated that game for three quarters and quarterback Lamar Jackson is playing at his peak right now. His 531 passing yards and 136 rushing yards combined with seven total touchdowns and just one interception is that of an MVP.
Baltimore have been getting off to flyers so far this season and New England certainly aren’t a side built to play from behind, with their slow offence not having the ability to score points quickly. Baltimore are 4/6 to for a bounce back victory, while they look good value at evens to cover the three-point spread.
