Once again, football fans everywhere are counting down the minutes for Monday Night Football to arrive. In this case, we’ve got quite the intriguing matchup on the way, as Indianapolis and Baltimore are all set to face off in what should be a great game. In this article, we have MNF picks for Colts vs. Ravens in Week 5. Will Lamar Jackson or Carson Wentz power their side to a win?
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the Ravens are big-time favorites to beat the Colts on Monday night. Why, you ask? We’ve got two words for ya: Lamar Jackson. The superstar quarterback is off to a hot start this season, as he’s done an impressive job running the offense. Jackson can hurt you both with his strong right arm and his incredible wheels. He’s such a problem for opposing defenses.
After suffering a loss to the Raiders in Week 1, Baltimore has gone on to win three consecutive games. Those wins came against the Chiefs, Lions and Broncos. That victory over Denver came in Week 4. In that win, Jackson tossed for 318 yards and a touchdown. Marquise Brown had himself a great game too, as did the Baltimore defense. They’ll hope to keep things going against the Colts.
| MNF odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens to win | -330 | -330 | -330 | -330 |
| Colts to win | +265 | +265 | +265 | +265 |
| The under to hit | -115 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| The over to hit | +105 | +105 | +105 | +105 |
Meanwhile, for Indianapolis, they lost their first three games of the year but then were able to get in the win column with a 27-17 victory against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4. In this one, Carson Wentz was finally able to have himself a strong outing, as he tossed for 228 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive line has performed poorly in 2021, but they bounced back against Miami.
According to the Las Vegas sportsbooks, Baltimore holds -330 NFL odds going into this one, while Indianapolis has been placed at +265. While Wentz and Co. will do everything in their power to try and record an upset, we just don’t think it will go down. With that said, we’re rocking with the Ravens as our pick to win. Do you agree? Check out our NFL betting sites and place a wager.
While both teams feature plenty of star talent, don’t expect too many points to be scored in the Ravens vs. Colts in Week 5. That’s because Baltimore’s defense is sure to provide the Colts with plenty of problems from start to finish in this one. As we mentioned above, the Indianapolis offensive line hasn’t been able to stay too consistent this year, which has been disappointing.
Because of this, Wentz hasn’t had a ton of time in the pocket to scan the field and throw the ball. This should once again be the case when the Colts and Ravens face off. Baltimore will look to provide Indy’s offensive line with plenty of pressure and the expectation is that they’re going to have a field day trying to get after Wentz. This is of course bad news for the quarterback.
Meanwhile for Baltimore, we expect them to have plenty of success on offense. This is always going to be the case when Jackson is your signal-caller. He’s a fantastic player and has always been able to deliver when he’s running the Ravens offense. The Colts defense will have trouble trying to contain him, so don’t be shocked if Baltimore scores in the high 20s or early 30s.
For the Colts, though, they could have a ton of trouble putting points on the board. Per the oddsmakers, the over/under for this battle has been set at 46.5 points. The under has been set at -115 in terms of odds, while the over is at +105. From our chair, we think that the under is the safe bet. It could prove to be a long day for the Colts offense thanks to Baltimore’s defense putting on a show.
With us expecting Baltimore to cruise to a win, we also think the Ravens should get off to a strong start. With their explosive offense, points should be put up on the board as soon as the opening drive for the Ravens. It will be important for them to deliver the first punch, with Jackson of course leading the way thanks to his dual-threat abilities being showcased.
It’s going to be tough for the Colts to try and contain him, especially in the first half. While Indy’s defense has shown some improvements, Jackson isn’t going to be intimidated. If anything, he’s going to want to make sure everyone knows just how strong he can be. Brown, Mark Andrews and others will look to make some great plays through the air as well.
So, what will the score be at the end of the first half? Per Vegas, the first-half spread has been set at -4. Seriously, only four points? We think it’d be a major shock if the Ravens didn’t enter the locker rooms after 30 minutes of action without being up by at least a touchdown. In terms of the over/under for four points at halftime, there’s no doubt that the over is our pick. Baltimore is fired up to make a statement and we’re confident it will happen.
