If you subscribe to the Monday Night Doubleheader theory where one game is always good and the other is always bad, this one is the heavy favorite to be the good one. Have these two teams ever played a football game against each other? I can’t remember ever seeing this matchup in all my years of watching football.

After a quick Google search, it appears the last time they played was only two years ago, when Tom Brady, Leonard Fournette, Julio Jones, and the Buccaneers took on Lamar Jackson, Kenyan Drake, Demarcus Robinson, and the Ravens. But, I’m not a total idiot. They’ve only played each other seven times in NFL history, with the Ravens winning the last five times they’ve matched up. Boy, how time flies.

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Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, O/U 49.5

The Ravens seem unstoppable with Derrick Henry looking primed to win the Offensive Player of the Year award through seven weeks. Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield has breathed new life into this Buccaneers’ offense and they can score on anyone in the league. Both of these teams have been rebranded into offensive juggernauts after being highly regarded defensive units in the past.

The matchup I’m clued in on for this game is the Bucs’ Vita Vea against the Ravens’ Derrick Henry. Most players get concussed when they’re diving at Derrick Henry, but Vea is one of the best run stuffers in the league. This may force Lamar Jackson to win this one in the air, which may turn them into a boom-or-bust style offense as opposed to the efficient, time-consuming, explosive run unit they normally are. Add all that together and I believe 3.5 points on the road will be hard to cover.

Pick: Tampa Bay +3.5

What’s Baker Got in the Kitchen?

Baker Mayfield has rejuvenated his career. After the Browns dropped him off at the firehouse in Carolina, he found his forever home in Tampa. And although he’s been dominant through the air, he’s also gotten loose on the ground a bunch this season. He’s already recorded games with 29, 42, 34, and 21 rushing yards this season. If the run game struggles at all he’ll try to make up for it with a few scrambles. 

And boy does it struggle. Rachaad White was the starter coming into the year, but he’s been outperformed on the ground by rookie Bucky Irving. And when White missed the game last week, second-year back out of Syracuse Sean Tucker got loose for buckets of yards. Now there’s talk of using a “three-headed monster” in the backfield. I can’t imagine it will give any of the backs the chance to get into a rhythm. That’s when Baker will put the team on his back.

Pick: Baker Mayfield Over 13.5 Rushing Yards

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