After a key prime-time win against the Buccaneers on Thursday night, the Ravens are under the lights once again in Monday’s clash with the Saints.
Ravens vs. Saints picks: Lamar Jackson highlights ‘Monday Night Football’ player props
After a key prime-time win against the Buccaneers on Thursday night, the Ravens are under the lights once again in Monday’s clash with the Saints, who are coming off a blowout win to snap a 1-5 run to that point. Which of these offenses will come alive in this one?
Here are three of our favorite prop bets to target at BetMGM ahead of Monday night:
Lamar Jackson over 62.5 rushing yards (-115)
For all of the inconsistency we’ve seen this season from the Ravens and star passer Lamar Jackson, one constant has been his legs — and I’d expect him to rely on them heavily in a key spot on Monday.
The former MVP winner is averaging 69.1 yards per game this season on a career-high 7.4 yards per carry through the first eight weeks of the season, though he’s toting the rock fewer times per game (9.4) than at any point since his rookie campaign. That may change with the loss of top receiver Rashod Bateman (foot), who is officially out for the year.
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Jackson rushed for 77 yards the last time Bateman was ruled out, and he’s tallied 70 yards or more in half of his games this season. The Saints own one of the least effective pass rushes in football and rarely blitz, too, which should leave open running lanes for Jackson to take off and create positive gains in the “passing game” as he’s done all year.
Devin Duvernay over 43.5 receiving yards (-120)
As mentioned before, this Ravens receiving corps is in a tough spot. Bateman has already been ruled out for the year, while star tight end Mark Andrews (shoulder/knee) isn’t likely to suit up, either. That leaves a massive opportunity for someone to step up in Baltimore’s passing game — and my money’s on Duvernay to fill that void.
Among players likely to suit up on Monday, Duvernay quietly leads all Ravens receivers in catch rate (80 percent) and yards per reception (13), and his yards per route run (1.68) is also the best on the team. He also saw his most targets of the season (7) in Bateman’s first missed game in Week 5 and followed that with five targets in Bateman’s last absence in Week 6.
Duvernay has already surpassed this receiving total in three of eight games this season. Still, this number is selectively misleading — he logged exactly 42 yards in two other games, both with Bateman and Andrews active. Without those two, expect a sizable bump in usage for the third-year wideout.
Chris Olave to score a touchdown (+140)
It’s hard to argue that any rookie receiver has been better this year than Olave, who already has 37 catches for 547 yards in his first seven games. Yet he’s struggled to reach the end zone, recording just two touchdown grabs ahead of Monday night.
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That’s a function of bad luck more than bad play. Olave has been a consistent deep weapon all season long — he ranks 11th in yards per game (78.1) and 18th in yards per catch (14.8), and his 17 targets of at least 20 yards downfield rank second behind only Tyreek Hill (19). He’s been arguably the most consistent weapon in New Orleans’ passing attack, even with his teammates earning much of the touchdown production to show for it.
That said, his downfield prowess is a terrifying proposition for this Ravens defense, which has allowed the fifth-most receiving yards per game (266.8) and surrendered 12 touchdowns through the air through the first eight weeks of the season. Baltimore has proven seriously vulnerable to the deep shot to this point, and Olave is the perfect candidate to break one loose for the third time this season.