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Two of the best teams in the NFL will clash this weekend in a premier matchup, as the Baltimore Ravens hit the road to take on the Buffalo Bills with massive implications for the AFC playoff picture on the line.
Oddsmakers are expecting this to be a high-scoring game, even though it's Lamar Jackson's first game back after a three-game absence due to an ankle injury.
The total in this matchup is all the way up at 54.5, and it's worth noting that the last time these teams met in the regular season, they combined for 81 points.
There are a ton of awesome playmakers in this game, including Derrick Henry, James Cook, Zay Flowers, Dalton Kincaid, DJ Moore and others that could make an impact by scoring a touchdown.
So, why don't we bet on a few players to do exactly that?
The anytime touchdown scorer market is one of the most exciting ways to bet on the NFL, especially when two of the league's top quarterbacks – Jackson and Josh Allen – are facing off.
While Henry, Cook, and Allen are all set at minus odds to find the end zone, I've decided to look at three players at plus money that could score in Week 8.
Here's a breakdown of the odds for these picks and my analysis ahead of Sunday’s Raves vs/ Bills clash.
Ravens star Zay Flowers has been one of the best receivers in the NFL this season, catching 40 of his 53 targets (in six games) for 608 yards and three scores. Flowers has three games with double-digit targets, and he’s by far the No. 1 option in this passing game.
Now, with Jackson expected to return, Flowers should get a major boost against a defense that has not been able to guard anyone in the passing game. After all, the Bills are dead last in the league in EPA/Play on defense.
Buffalo’s pass defense is one of the worst in the league, ranking 29th in EPA/Pass while allowing 15 passing scores. Opposing wide receivers have torched the Bills, scoring 11 touchdowns across six games – the most allowed to the position in the NFL.
It doesn’t get much better for Flowers, who is averaging over 100 yards per game and has caught at least five passes in every matchup. Since these teams combined for 81 points the last time they played, I’d expect another up-and-down matchup with a ton of offensive possessions for both sides.
Flowers has simply been too effective in space, and he has the fourth-highest target share in the NFL this season. That puts him in a great spot to find the end zone for the second week in a row on Sunday.
Dalton Kincaid has just one touchdown for the Bills this season (in Week 2), but the Ravens have struggled to defend the opposition, allowing five tight end touchdown receptions in seven games.
Kincaid was an afterthought in the Bills’ offense in Weeks 3, 4 and 5, receiving just seven total targets, but Joe Brady made a point of getting him involved in Week 6.
The former first-round pick had eight targets, reeling in seven passes for 38 yards. While it wasn’t a huge day for Kincaid, he had a touchdown negated because of a penalty.
I’m buying the Bills star in this matchup, especially since the passing offense has run a lot smoother for Buffalo when he’s one of the top options.
Third-round pick Ja’Kobi Lane has appeared in just three games for the Ravens this season due to a wrist injury, catching eight of his 13 targets for 76 yards.
He’s yet to find the end zone in the NFL, but with Jackson returning, I’m buying the rookie at this price in Week 7. I’ve already mentioned how awful this Buffalo pass defense is, and if the Bills end up selling out to slow down Flowers, Lane is the next-best option.
Lane has seen his snap share rise in back-to-back weeks, playing nearly 70 percent of the offensive plays in Week 6. He’s also seen 10 targets since returning, and I think he’s trending up after an injury derailed his start to the season.