Posted on 8/17/2007 5:40:48 PM

Pre Season NFL Betting - Giants at Ravens

By BetUS Staff

The Baltimore Ravens will try to remain undefeated in the preseason Sunday night, while the New York Giants will be looking for their first preseason victory when they invade Baltimore. The NFL betting lines for Week 1 of the preseason were on average 4-points or less, and this game continues the trend with the Ravens pegged as a 3.5-point favorite.

The Ravens were also a 3.5-point favorite in their preseason opener in which they blasted Philadelphia 29-3. Steve McNair only played one series in the game, but he made the most of it, completing 6-of-8 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. New Ravens’ running back Willis McGahee also had a short night and compiled 20 yards on four carries in only one series. Heisman winner Troy Smith made his debut in the third quarter for Baltimore and showed why he wasn’t taken very high in the NFL draft after completing only 3-of-11 passes for 34 yards. Matt Stover showed he is ready for the regular season to start by connecting on all five on his field goal attempts.

While the Ravens’ offense was burning through Philadelphia, the Ravens’ defense dominated from start to finish while holding the Eagles to only three points and a total of 183 yards. The Ravens recorded five sacks in the win and should once again boast one of the best defenses in the league this season. The Ravens’ heavy hitters like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs may not play the entire game, but they leave their mark even if they only see the field for one play.

The Giants’ defense was the complete opposite of the Ravens’ mighty squad in their opener against Carolina last week. The Giants were repeatedly burned by the Panthers both on the ground and through the air en route to a 24-21 loss as a 1-point underdog. Without Michael Strahan to hold them together, the Giants’ defense could be easy pickings for solid offensive clubs this season.

The Giants’ starting offense was missing a few pieces against the Panthers, with Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress both sidelined by injury. The missing receivers did not seem to faze Eli Manning who completed 3-of-5 passes for 27 yards, including a TD strike to Jeremy Shockey in limited duty. Third-string QB Jared Lorenzen also found the end zone for New York, but with their defense getting beat over and over the Giants were unable to secure a win. Brandon Jacobs’ mission to replace the retired Tiki Barber started out slowly, as the big back had only four carries for 15 yards.

The last time the Ravens and Giants clashed was way back in 2004 when Baltimore crushed New York 37-14 with the NFL odds pegging Baltimore as a large 10.5-point favorite. The Giants and Ravens also met up back in Super Bowl XXXV, which Baltimore also easily won, 34-7 as a 3-point underdog.

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