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Saints vs. Ravens: Division leaders look to keep control

By Rebecca Mills

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 31: Chris Moore #10 of the Baltimore Ravens catches a pass over Taveze Calhoun #39 of the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on August 31, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens defeated the Saints 14-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 31: Chris Moore #10 of the Baltimore Ravens catches a pass over Taveze Calhoun #39 of the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on August 31, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens defeated the Saints 14-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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After meeting multiple years in the preseason, the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens are meeting in the regular season. Here’s your Week 7 preview.

Fans might not want to admit it but the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens are incredibly similar. They have the same struggles each year as one area of the team brings them down while the other thrives. It’s a vicious cycle, but thus far in 2018, both teams have proved the idea wrong.

The Saints have had their bye while the Ravens haven’t. Both have four wins with a lone loss for the Saints and two for the Ravens. Heading into Week 7, there’s a lot of hype around each of them and both are contenders. With a win or loss this week, it could mean either a chance at the playoffs or a fatal tailspin.

Week 7 for New Orleans is huge. They’re only one game ahead of the Panthers so they need that extra edge. Looking at the team, things are finally starting to fall into place. The defense came together after looking fractured in the first few games of the season. The offense has Mark Ingram back and his presence proved vital in their win over the Washington Redskins.

As for the Ravens, they’re coming off a huge win against the Titans. The standout of the game was easily their defense. The defense plagued Marcus Mariota with 11 sacks, finished the game only scoring touchdowns and Micheal Crabtree finally found a connection with Joe Flacco. While not a particularly important game, it set the standards for what we could expect from the Ravens.

One little tidbit worth noting is this will be Willie Snead’s first time playing against his former team. Snead joined in the Saints in 2015 and went to the Ravens this offseason after the Saints failed to match their offer. No doubt Snead will try and show off against his former team.

Game Info

Date: Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018
Start Time: 4:05 p.m. EST
Location: Baltimore, MD
Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium
TV Info: Fox
Live Stream: FuboTV

Playing in Baltimore, the Ravens have the edge here according to the oddsmakers. However, they aren’t getting the full customary three points for evenly matched home teams, making you wonder if the books think the Saints are the better team objectively.

Betting Odds (via Odds Shark)

Point Spread: Baltimore -2.5
Moneyline: New Orleans +120, Baltimore -135
Over/Under: 50

Prediction

The New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens could end this game with a fierce rivalry. Their meetings in the preseason have led up to this moment. Finally, the two teams are meeting in the regular season with the score actually mattering this time around.

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Even with a week of rest, the Saints will have their hands full with the Ravens. Drew Brees especially will have to be careful and their o-line needs to go toe-to-toe with Baltimore’s defense. Between the two, I see the Ravens having a slight edge and getting the win but only by a field goal. Either way, the game is going to be close and definitely worth watching!

Final Score: New Orleans 24, Baltimore 27

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