Michael David Smith ,
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The first five weeks of the season couldn’t have gone much worse for the Ravens. They’re 1-4, they’re on pace to give up more points than any team in NFL history , and Lamar Jackson and many of their other top players are injured. For most teams in the Ravens’ position, the playoffs would be a pipe dream.
But for the Ravens, winning the AFC North remains a realistic possibility.
In fact, the Ravens are still the betting the favorites to win the division, with odds of +100 at DraftKings. The Steelers are right behind at +110. The Browns and Bengals are long shots, both at +1800.
The good news for the Ravens is that many of their key injured players will be back soon. Among those who missed Sunday’s game were Jackson, safety Kyle Hamilton, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and fullback Patrick Ricard. They’re all expected to be playing sooner rather than later.
With the Browns and Bengals both seemingly going nowhere, the question in the AFC North will ultimately be whether a healthy Ravens team can catch up to the Steelers, who at 3-1 already have a 2.5-game lead in the division. The betting odds say the Ravens can, and will.
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