Redskins vs. Vikings Prediction
A preseason battle between two teams separated by 38 miles takes place Thursday night when the Ravens host the Redskins. Will Washington upset Baltimore?
The Ravens are posted as a 1-point favorite by sportsbook Bovada.lv, while the over-under for the game is listed at 37.5. The spread has not budged from where it opened, while the total is down half a point after opening at 38.
Bet the Redskins at Ravens Game
WASHINGTON REDSKINS: It was an interesting offseason for the Redskins as they shored up some areas of need in free agency with signings such as wide receiver Terrelle Pryor and safety D.J. Swearinger. They also drafted defensive lineman Jonathan Allen out of Alabama in the first round, a player with a high upside that should immediately help their defense. Washington is certainly not a finished product, but it seems as though the roster is improving incrementally from season to season. Kirk Cousins is back at the helm as starting quarterback and should see a bit of action in this game. He is coming off a 2016 campaign where he completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,917 yards, throwing 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He’ll be without a few of his receiving threats as tight end Jordan Reed plus wideouts Josh Doctson and Jameson Crowder have all been ruled out.
BALTIMORE RAVENS: The Ravens enter the preseason docket with quarterback questions of their own due to the back injury suffered by starter Joe Flacco. It seems as though Flacco will be ready to go once the regular season begins, but for now Ryan Mallett will lead the charge in the preseason with Dustin Vaughan and Josh Woodrum behind him. Mallett has previous starting experience with the Texans, but it did not go well and led to his eventual release. Second-year speed burner Breshad Perriman will look to make a big leap this season and is joined in the receiving corps by Mike Wallace and newly signed Jeremy Maclin among others. Expect to see a slew of running backs in this game with six Ravens listed on the team’s first official depth chart with Terrance West and free agent signing Danny Woodhead manning the top two spots.
Our Prediction: The Redskins are 3-6 straight up versus the Ravens in head-to-head preseason matchups, but did win 31-13 at Baltimore in 2015, which marks the last time they met in the preseason. With Flacco out and Cousins seeing a couple of series, that could make all the difference in what should be a close football game.
THURSDAY NIGHT NFL PREDICTION: WASHINGTON REDSKINS +1
