Baltimore vs Houston – Online Sports Betting

The Baltimore Ravens defense looks like it is back in old form but unfortunately so does the offense. They’ll need both sides clicking when they kick off against the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football on ESPN. The online sports bettors are behind the Ravens by a margin of 84% to just 16% on the Texans.

The odds makers have set the online sports betting line favoring the Ravens by -3-points. A straight up bet on the underdog Texans will pay bettors +130 on the moneyline. The game total is set at 46 points.

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MNF Betting Odds

December 13, 2010

Baltimore Ravens -3 +100 -150

Houston Texans +3 -120 +130

Game Total 46

Location: Reliant Stadium – Houston TX

Game Time: 8:30pm

TV: ESPN

The Ravens have held opponents to just 13 or few points in four of their past five games but the offense has topped 21 points in only two of those five games. They’ve been held to 20 points or less in six games this season, three times resulting in losses.

The defense is holding opponents to a third best 16.8 points per game this season.

Offensively, the Ravens are no better than average as they score 21.7 points per game. The rushing game, which was huge for the Ravens last season, is averaging just 108.4 yards per game.

Joe Flacco has been better this season, he’s on pace for the most passing yards and passing TDs of his young career. Flacco isn’t the problem with the Ravens offense; it’s been their running game.

Ray Rice combined for 2041 rushing and receiving yards last season but he’s well off this pace in 2010, he’s projected for 1675.

It hasn’t been just Rice; Willis McGahee will rush for quite a bit less than the 544 yards he ran for last season. But his touchdown total is way down; he’s scored five in 2010 after scoring 14 in 2009.

The Houston Texans will be on the outside looking in at the NFL post season once again. They started the season strong winning 3 of their first four games. They covered three of the first four online sports betting lines. From there, it all went downhill.

The Texans have lost six of their past eight games and lost six of eight games against the spread. If you want to point to the reason for the Texans woes, it’s been their defense.

The Texans offense, while not as potent as last season, they are still scoring 24 points per game.

Running back Arian Foster is having a brilliant season. He’s rushed for 1230 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.

The defense is allowing opponents to score 26.8 points per game. They have been respectable against the run but that’s due to teams lighting them up through the air.

The Texans are allowing a league worst 287.4 yards a game. The only game where they held an opponent under 24 points was two weeks ago when they shutout the Tennessee Titans and their third string quarterback.

Houston has allowed opponents to top 30 points seven times this season. Monday night, expect it to happen for an eighth time. Joe Flacco has the talent around him, specifically Anquan Bolden, to exploit the Texans horrible pass defense. The Ravens defense will hold the Texans to a couple scores of less.

Take the Ravens online sports betting spread of -3.

MNF Betting Pick: Baltimore Ravens -3