Thursday Night Football kicks off Week 9 with Jacksonville heading to Baltimore, and the Ravens’ quarterback situation has turned a marquee AFC game into one of the biggest spreads of the week. FanDuel is giving new users $200 in bonus bets by betting $5 a day for four days, with no promo code required. Start with Ravens-Jaguars and carry it straight into the weekend.
Baltimore opened this game as a three-point favorite. Then Sunday happened. Lamar Jackson jammed his right thumb on the Ravens’ first snap in a 36-10 loss at Buffalo, and he’s now on injured reserve after surgery. Tyler Huntley suffered a turf toe injury that’s reportedly season-ending, and Skylar Thompson was already on IR. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, playing through an ankle injury, gets the start.
The line has moved to Jaguars -9.5, and some expect it to hit 10 before kickoff.
Most of the time, a line move this big is worth fading. This might be the exception. Jacksonville isn’t just benefiting from Baltimore’s bad luck. The Jaguars are 5-2, lead the AFC South and have the NFL’s best point differential at +85. They’re coming off a 42-7 win over the Colts, and Trevor Lawrence has 17 touchdowns against four interceptions.
Baltimore, meanwhile, was already sliding before Jackson went down. The Ravens have lost three straight, they’re 0-3 against the spread at home and they’re 7-13 all-time when Jackson misses a game. Fagnano’s relief appearance in Buffalo produced 91 passing yards, an interception and a lost fumble. Asking him to keep pace with Lawrence on three days of practice is a tall order.
Jacksonville has the better quarterback, the better defense and the better form. The Ravens’ best hope is to keep the game ugly, but a rookie quarterback against a defense this hot tends to hand over short fields. A couple of turnovers turn a manageable deficit into a double-digit loss in a hurry. Lay the points with the Jaguars.
Odds are subject to change
Thursday is just Day 1. Bet $5 on Ravens-Jaguars, collect your first $50 in bonus bets, then keep your streak alive with college football Saturday and the full NFL Sunday slate. Four straight days of $5 bets gets you to $200.
Start with Thursday Night Football and build from there. New users can bet $5 a day for four days with FanDuel and collect $200 in bonus bets.