Ravens (6-2) at Dolphins (2-7)
Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
TV: Fox/NFL Network/Amazon Tipico Sportsbook line: Ravens by 7 ⁄2
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Ravens’ keys to victory: They are coming off an overtime win over Minnesota that keeps the Ravens at the top of a challenging AFC North, where every team is at least .500. The Ravens are a much more talented team than the Dolphins despite injuries to key players, especially at running back. If John Harbaugh’s team just plays its own game and doesn’t turn the ball over, it will come out with a victory.
Dolphins’ keys to victory: Miami might be without starting QB Tua Tagovailoa for the second week in a row as he deals with a fracture on the ring finger on his throwing hand. Miami will need to focus all of its efforts to be great on defense. The Dolphins have had two strong defensive performances in a row against Buffalo then Houston, so that will have to continue to give them a chance.
Matchup to watch: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson vs. Dolphins front seven. You don’t need to be a genius to see that Jackson is one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. Miami hasn’t been great against mobile quarterbacks this season, as they gave up 90 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts to Bills QB Josh Allen in Week 8. Miami will need to commit an extra defender to keep Jackson in the pocket and minimize his effect on the ground.
Who wins? When they’re right, the Ravens are one of the best teams in the league, so they should be able to win this game rather easily. Miami’s only real hope is its defense playing like it did in 2020 and creating turnovers.
Ravens 30, Dolphins 16