The Baltimore Ravens are in a rare position as underdogs ahead of Monday night’s marquee game against the San Francisco 49ers.
While Baltimore is 11-3 with a four-game winning streak, San Francisco has the same record with six consecutive double-digit triumphs. The 49ers are currently 5.5-point favorites at home.
Per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, star Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton took umbrage to the betting line.
“We feel a little disrespected by that,” Hamilton said. “I feel like we are the best team in the league.”
The fact that the Ravena are 5.5-point underdogs to the 49ers did not sit well with everyone in the locker room.
“We feel a little disrespected by that,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “I feel like we are the best team in the league.”
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— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) December 21, 2023
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey said the line “hurt my feelings a little bit.”
“I was surprised to see that,” Humphrey said. “But I definitely want to make that incorrect for sure. And hopefully some people lose some money betting with them and make some money better with us.”
On the other hand, quarterback Lamar Jackson had a different reaction to the spread.
“I don’t want them to pick us,” Jackson said. “I like being the underdog. I believe we play better when we’re doubted and people aren’t choosing us to win the game. I feel like we play better all the time, so just do it all the way to February. That’s all I ask.”
Per Hensley, the Ravens have been favored in 62 of Jackson’s 75 career regular-season starts. They have won nine of the 13 games as underdogs, including a 27-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, their only other game as underdogs this season.
The Ravens may get favored in any other matchup, but this line probably says more about the 49ers.
San Francisco leads the NFL in point differential (+191) with the No. 2 offense and No. 9 defense. Kyle Shanahan’s team is first in DVOA with a fairly significant edge over the runner-up Ravens.
The 49ers have obtained 10 of their wins by at least 12 points, with their closest victory coming by seven over the Rams in Los Angeles. So, if anything, Vegas is arguably showing the Ravens respect by only making them a 5.5-point underdog at Levi’s Stadium.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said the betting line “was mentioned” when asked if they would use it for motivation ahead of Monday night’s matchup, which starts at 8:15 p.m. ET on ABC.