NFL front-runners Baltimore Ravens won again in Week 14 last Sunday. And it again strengthened the New Jersey odds on them winning Super Bowl LIV.
From +220 last week they are down to +195 with the Resorts online sportsbook and +125 with FanDuel. The other 18 or so sportsbooks in the Garden State are all there and there about or somewhere in between
At the time Ravens were winning, the reigning champions, New England Patriots, were running into a second straight defeat. It was their third in five games.
So from joint second place favorites last week, they have slipped back to 4th at +725.
The dynamic New Jersey sports betting industry now has New Orleans Saints (+600) and San Francisco’s 49ers (+650) above the Patriots.
Ravens are first conference winners
In beating Buffalo Bills 24-17, the Ravens became the season’s first NFL team to win a conference title (AFC North).
However, they might not have done it had Marcus Peters not heroically stopped the Bills from getting a last chance touchdown.
The Ravens cornerback knocked away from Bills receiver John Brown what had looked to be perfect touchdowns pass from Josh Allen.
It was a dramatic moment and certainly a cause for celebration. Unfortunately Peters got a little carried away. Followed by TV cameras, he charged into a crowd of cheering supporters and at their prompting downed a beer.
The NFL didn’t like that one bit – especially as condoning it might set a precedent. They fined him $14,037 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Bud Light enjoyed what Peters did
Beer-maker Bud Light, on the other hand, loved it. On hearing news of the fine they put the following announcement on Twitter: “Drinking a celebratory beer isn’t a crime. We’ll match that tab with a donation to a charity on your behalf @marcuspeters. DM us”.
Ravens will not officially condone what Peters did in a moment of exultation. But don’t expect him to get much more than a slap on the wrist from them – if he even gets that.
His brilliant intervention did, after all, ensure Baltimore won again and kept their No 1 standing. And there is more. Since transferring mid-season from LA Rams, he has played a key role in helping transform the Ravens. They were struggling earlier. Now they are charging.
Peters did get involved in an on-field dustup earlier this year. It was with Jalen Ramsay, the cornerback who replaced him at Rams. This happened when the Ravens beat the Rams, but no action was taken against either player.
Top 10 favorites to win Super Bowl LIV
(Monday, December 16, 2019)
Baltimore Ravens +195
New Orleans Saints +600
San Francisco 49ers +650
New England Patriots +725
Kansas City Chiefs +750
Seattle Sea Hawks +800
Green Bay Packers +1075
Minnesota Vikings +2500
Dallas Cowboys +2800
Buffalo Bills +3300.
The NFL’s Week 14 results
Chicago Bears 31, Dallas Cowboys 24
Green Bay Packers 20, Washington Redskins 15
Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 7
Baltimore Ravens 24, Buffalo Bills 17
Atlanta Falcons 40, Carolina Panthers 20
Denver Broncos 38, Houston Texans 24
New York Jets 22, Miami Dolphins 21
Cleveland Browns 27, Cincinnati Bengals 19
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 38, Indianapolis Colts 35
San Francisco 49ers 48, New Orleans Saints 46
Tennessee Titans 42, Oakland Raiders 21
Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Arizona Cardinals 17
Los Angeles Chargers 45, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
Kansas City Chiefs 23, New England Patriots 16
Los Angeles Rams 28, Seattle Seahawks 12