It was a frustrating Week 2 result for the Baltimore Ravens (0-2) at home last Sunday after they dropped a tough 26-23 decision to the feisty Las Vegas Raiders. Things didn’t go any better for the Dallas Cowboys (1-1) in their home opener, as the Saints rolled into town and put up 44 points in a lopsided victory. This Week 3 showdown between two pre-season playoff favorites promises to be very illuminating considering how poorly they both performed just one week ago. Kickoff is set for 4:25 PM EST on September 22nd at AT&T Stadium.
Despite the less than stellar start for both teams, this promises to be a highly entertaining matchup between two extremely skilled offenses. While it is a bit premature to call any game in September a “must-win”, it is critical that Baltimore avoids dropping to 0-3 in the always tough AFC North.
Fans should be in for a real treat on Sunday afternoon, as both of these flashy quarterbacks love to run the ball and push the pace offensively. Dallas needs to figure out how to get the rushing attack firing on all cylinders, as they are undoubtedly fairly one-dimensional on offense right now after losing Tony Pollard to free agency.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Cowboys listed as 1.5-point home underdogs. The spread has narrowed by half a point after early betting, as Dallas is currently available at +1 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 48 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised on FOX. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Baltimore Ravens Lose Shocker To Las Vegas
Despite opening up a narrow 9-6 lead in the first half, Baltimore couldn’t find a way to hold on down the stretch against a tenacious Raiders team. The Ravens crumbled in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 13-7 en route to a demoralizing 26-23 loss after dropping their opening game on the road against Kansas City.
QB Lamar Jackson wasn’t at his best, completing 21 out of 34 total passing attempts for 247 yards and a touchdown through the air while also recording an interception. Jackson was also uncharacteristically kept in check on the ground, rushing for only 45 yards the entire game. Wideout Zay Flowers continued his recent streak of impressive play, making seven catches for 91 receiving yards and a touchdown. Derrick Henry also chipped in on offense, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and finding the end zone on one of his game-high 18 carries.
The Ravens defense was average at best against Las Vegas, surrendering nearly 300 total yards of offense and two touchdowns. Baltimore was repeatedly exposed in the secondary by Davante Adams and Brock Bowers, as the pair combined for over 200 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Dallas Cowboys Blown Out By Saints In Home Opener
Jerry Jones couldn’t have been happy after an embarrassing 44-19 loss in the Cowboys home opener, as Dallas fell behind early and never recovered. New Orleans absolutely dominated both sides of the ball on the ground, racking up four touchdowns on offense while limiting Dallas to just 68 rushing yards the entire game.
Dak Prescott ran into turnover trouble early and often against the Saints, throwing two costly interceptions. He also didn’t have a great outing running the ball, only gaining 12 rushing yards. WR CeeDee Lamb was the only bright spot on offense for Dallas in Week 2, as the star wideout turned just four catches into 90 receiving yards and a touchdown.
It was an unmitigated disaster on the other side of the ball for the Cowboys, as they got lit up for 44 total points and six touchdowns. Alvin Kamara had an absolute field day out of the backfield, rushing for three touchdowns while also finding the end zone through the air on one of his two receptions for 65 yards. Dallas also got exposed through the air, as speedsters Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave combined for 177 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Our Ravens vs Cowboys NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
This is arguably the most anticipated game on the schedule in Week 3, as both of these teams came into the 2024-25 regular season as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Look for both teams to push the pace on offense early, as oddsmakers expect this game to be the second highest scoring matchup on Sunday afternoon.
While both teams definitely have some concerns on defense right now, Dallas has to be feeling the heat after such a bad outing at home last weekend. The Cowboys were also far from perfect against a below average Cleveland team in Week 1, but managed to outscore their defensive lapses to put the game out of reach in the second half. That likely won’t be the case here against Baltimore, as the Ravens could easily be 2-0 right now if a few more bounces had gone their way over the past couple of games.
Against the Spread Betting Market Tip: Ravens -1
Not much separates these two powerhouses, but I fully expect Baltimore to be the more desperate team in this particular spot. The Ravens are fully aware that starting the season 0-3 would be almost insurmountable, so I expect a playoff-type atmosphere in AT&T Stadium here in Week 3.
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry both have a great matchup in this game, as Dallas has given up at least one rushing touchdown in back to back games. While CeeDee Lamb will almost certainly put up big numbers as well, I would much rather back the team that has the most to lose in these types of situations – especially this early in the season. I’m going to lay the single point and take Baltimore to bounce back with a big road win.
