It will be a battle of stud QBs on Saturday afternoon, as MVP favorite Lamar Jackson and the Ravens host Rookie of the Year frontrunner C.J. Stroud and the Texans (4:30 p.m. ET, ABC). This will be a can't miss AFC divisional-round battle, which will undoubtedly generate a ton of betting action.
Who has a tougher road to the Super Bowl than Houston? Coach of the Year candidate DeMeco Ryans and his squad will need to get through the top-seeded Ravens this weekend and then beat either the Bills or defending-champion Chiefs in the AFC Championship. That's a tall order for a team with a 22-year-old QB in Stroud and an electric rookie wideout in Tank Dell on the shelf with an injury.
However, the Texans' romp of the red-hot Browns last week proved that anything's possible with the right game plan. Sure, Baltimore has one of the most lethal QB playmakers in the world, multiple young weapons at the skill positions, and an elite defense — but that doesn't mean Houston will be an easy out.
RAVENS-TEXANS: Model projection | Expert picks | Updated odds
We'll have our eyes glued to the screen for this divisional-round matchup, and we'll be rooting on our props along the way. Without further ado, here's our six favorite bets for Ravens-Texans in the NFL Playoffs on Saturday night.
Best bets for Ravens vs. Texans: Top player props
All odds courtesy of Sports Interaction, Canada's most trusted sportsbook. Bet on this weekend's NFL games now!
Lamar Jackson to score touchdown anytime (+110)
Houston has surrendered an NFL-high seven rushing TDs to quarterbacks this season, and Jackson finished the regular season ranked first in the league in yards per rush attempt (5.5). He also scored five times, which ties him for fourth-most among QBs during the 2023 campaign. We wouldn't bet the farm on Jackson scoring, but we certainly like the plus odds for a $20 bet.
If you're looking for more value. on the ground, consider Gus Edwards to score a TD (-110). The Texans allowed 19 rushing TDs on the season (sixth-most) and Baltimore got a whopping 13 scores from the Gus Bus this season.
C.J. Stroud passing attempts: OVER 35.5 (+100)
Beating the Ravens in Baltimore will be a monumentally tall task for Stroud, but he has certainly demonstrated throughout his presumed Rookie of the Year season that he's up for any challenge.
The Ravens are used to seeing opponents air the ball out a ton. They have the No. 1 scoring defense, they have surrendered a league-low six rushing TDs, and they have spent the vast majority of games in the lead. Only the Eagles saw opponents attempt more passes against them than the Ravens, who saw foes air it out 37.3 times per game on average.
That's right where we need Stroud to be this weekend, and we think that's the way it will go. He has surpassed 35 pass attempts six times since the start of the 2023 season — including a 44-pass Week 1 against these very Ravens — and each of those 36-plus attempt efforts came either in losses or close wins. This is a fantastic bet with plus odds.
Devin Singletary rushing yards: UNDER 59.5 (-115)
Singletary enjoyed a career resurgence in Houston this year, finishing the regular season two yards shy of 900 rushing yards and nine yards shy of 1,100 from scrimmage. He also comes into this game hot, with a three-game stretch that has seen him average 69.6 yards per game and score two TDs.
However, the Ravens are not a team that will allow a back like Singletary to succeed. He managed just 15 yards on seven attempts when these teams squared off in Week 1 of the 2023 season, and now Roquan Smith, Patrick Queen, and the rest of Baltimore's defense are coming off an ever-important first-round bye. We like John Harbaugh's squad to stifle Singletary, with the veteran back failing to reach 60 rushing yards for the eighth time in his 10 career playoff games.
Patrick Queen tackles: UNDER 7.5 (-135)
We already mentioned that we don't like Singletary to get much going on the ground, and that we believe Stroud will be airing the ball out a ton. Those factors should correlate with an underwhelming tackle count for Queen, who has finished with below eight total tackles in five of his past six games. The Pro Bowl selection also played through a nagging shoulder injury in the home stretch of the season, so we wouldn't bank on Queen even playing 100 percent of snaps if this game turns into a runaway. Bet the UNDER on Queen's tackle count.
Nico Collins longest reception OVER 25.5 yards (-115)
Collins enjoyed a breakout year in 2023, coming three yards shy of 1,300 on the season despite playing just 15 games. His per-catch average on the season was a whopping 16.2, seventh-highest in the NFL. He also logged 25 receptions of 20-plus yards, tied with Puka Nacua and D.J. Moore for fourth-most, and only Tyreek Hill and Amari Cooper had more receptions of 50-plus than Nico's four.
Collins is explosive and sees lots of targets in close games, especially since stud Texans rookie Tank Dell suffered a season-ending injury in December. We're putting a modest wager on the OVER here, knowing full well that he will be utilized early and often to keep Houston in the game. When these teams met in Week 1, Collins had six catches on 11 targets for 80 yards and his longest reception went for 26 yards. We'll take another performance like that, please!
Justin Tucker field goals: OVER 1.5 (-125)
We love sneaking in a Tucker prop in games Baltimore is heavily favored to win, as we just always seem to get value with the best kicker of all time. Tucker has hit multiple field goals in five of the Ravens' past seven games, and he has hit 100 percent of his kick attempts since Dec. 10. Oddsmakers have given Baltimore an implied point total of 27, which happens to break down to three TDs and two field goals. As Ron Burgundy would say, "it's science."
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >