The Baltimore Ravens (14-4 straight up, 12-6 against the spread) will host the AFC Championship Game after outscoring Houston 24-0 in the second half to pull away for a 34-10 win. They covered the spread as 10-point home favorites, while the 44 combined points resulted in a push for gamblers taking the total in the hours prior to kickoff.
Lamar Jackson completed 16-of-22 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also had 100 rushing yards and two TDs on 11 attempts.
Jackson found Nelson Agholor for a three-yard TD pass with 9:14 left in the second quarter to give the Ravens a 10-3 lead. However, a 67-yard punt return by Houston’s Steven Sims tied the game at 10-10 with 4:17 remaining until halftime.
Jackson’s 15-yard TD run gave Baltimore the lead for good with 12:04 remaining in the third quarter. John Harbaugh’s team took a two-possession lead thanks to Jackson’s 15-yard scoring strike to TE Isaiah Likely less than a minute into the fourth quarter.
Jackson put the Texans away with an eight-yard TD run with 6:20 remaining. His score provided bettors backing Baltimore’s Team Total to go ‘over’ 27.5 (hand raised!) with a winner, as the Ravens took a 31-10 lead.
Justin Tucker’s 43-yard field goal was money with 1:56 left. Gamblers who took ‘over’ 43.5 early in the week – before it moved to 44 early Saturday – were able to cash tickets thanks to Tucker’s kick.
Baltimore dominated with a 22-10 advantage on first downs, a 352-213 advantage in total yards and a 37:35-22:25 advantage in time of possession.
The Ravens kept Houston QB C.J. Stroud in check. The rookie out of Ohio St. completed 19-of-33 throws for 175 yards.
Harbaugh’s team awaits the winner of Sunday’s Kansas City at Buffalo game in Orchard Park. The Ravens didn’t face either team during the regular season.
Whether it’s the Chiefs or Bills, they’ll face a Baltimore squad that’s won seven games in a row when at full strength. (The Ravens lost their regular-season finale 17-10 at home vs. Pittsburgh, but they had already secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed and rested most of their key players like Jackson, WR Zay Flowers and WR Odell Beckham Jr.)
Baltimore is 6-1 ATS during that seven-game surge, with six of the wins coming by double-digit margins. Going back to mid-October, the Ravens are 11-1 SU and 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games (not counting the aforementioned regular-season finale).