After winning the 2012 championship Baltimore has slowly declined. Equally important has been the regression of quarterback Joe Flacco. Simultaneously the Ravens are no longer a top bet on NFL choice for gamblers. Balanced against that are the Chicago Bears. By contrast Baltimore is significantly more appealing. Since 2007 they have made the playoffs just once. Overall since their loss in the 2010 NFC championship game the Bears have been atrocious. Following a 5-11 season last year Chicago changed coaches. Matt Nagy is the latest man to enter this coaching graveyard. Certainly, this is an important preseason for both clubs.
NFL Hall of Fame Game Chicago Bears vs. Baltimore Ravens
Date and Time: Thursday, August 2, 2018, 8:05 p.m. ET
Location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, OH
NFL Betting Online Odds at SBG:
| Team | Spread | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | +2 (-110) | 33 (-105) |  |
| Ravens | -2 (-110) | 33 (-115) | |
| |||
Bears vs. Ravens TV Coverage: NBC
John Harbaugh on the Hot Seat
Starting with last December Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has been on the hot seat. As a matter of fact, owner Steve Bisciotti publicly admitted to considering a change. Baltimore has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons. In the second place Flacco has often been a Bet on NFL liability. Flacco has not posted a passer rating better than 83.5 in the past three seasons. Consequently, Baltimore drafted Lamar Jackson in the first-round last spring. Additionally, Robert Griffin III is on the depth chart. Above all Flacco is getting paid $26 million to produce.
Ravens
In this situation Harbaugh is in a win or die scenario. More emphatically the Ravens must make the playoffs this year or he’ll get the gas. For this purpose, Baltimore’s preseason focus will be on jumpstarting its passing game. Likewise, Flacco, Jackson and RGIII will all get plenty of work.
Don Martindale
Defensively the Ravens are a veteran unit with a new coordinator. Though he has not run a defense since 2010 Don Martindale takes command. Certainly, the unit can potentially be a sportsbook asset. To show the Ravens ranked sixth in the NFL for points allowed last year.
Matt Nagy and the Bears
Embracing the challenge of the Bears is Matt Nagy. After serving as Kansas City offensive coordinator this is his first head job. In contrast to the Chiefs the Bears haven’t been competitive at all. Nagy is credited with bringing youthful enthusiasm. For that reason, players respond to Nagy better than departed John Fox.
Mitchell Trubinsky
Encompassing the Nagy hire is development of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Trubinsky is considered an underrated athlete with upside. Overall preseason will be spent getting the Trubinsky up to par. At the same time the entire offense needs an overhaul. Consider Chicago ranked 29th in the NFL for scoring last year.
Bears as a Defensive Unit
A strong distinction on the Bears is a serviceable defensive unit. On the contrary to their offense, Chicago ranked ninth for points allowed. Supplementing the unit is coordinator Vic Fangio. Nagy retained Fangio from the previous staff. It follows that Fangio has the confidence of everyone on the Bears.
Matchup to Watch
In the first place both teams are working hard on offense. For that reason, the under may be a smart Bet on NFL choice. Correlate to that the preseason tendency to experiment. Likewise, both teams have good defensive depth.
Bears vs. Ravens Betting Odds Pick
Due to the implementation of new offensive wrinkles this should be a low scoring game. Furthermore, the Ravens are more settled than the Bears.
NFL Betting Online Pick: Baltimore Ravens and under the total.
NFL Betting Online Score Prediction: Ravens 17, Bears 10
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