Football is back. It’s not truly official until the NFL makes its debut, and we have a monster Thursday Night kickoff to open the season. It’s a matchup of multiple angles featuring two of the more accomplished teams in the AFC, none more so than the Kansas City Chiefs. Whether Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens can finally knock off Kansas City and win a Super Bowl won’t be determined Thursday — but it will be a topic of conversation. There are two strong areas to attack when it comes to building the best NFL DraftKings Pick6 predictions, both around the Ravens scoring points.
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Lamar Jackson M/L Than 49.5 Rushing Yards
The Ravens are in trouble this year, and it has nothing to do with their quarterback. In fact, Lamar Jackson is starting the season with a major disadvantage — all up front with the offensive line. The team replaced its offensive line coach after Joe D’Alessandris ed away this offseason. It replaced him with one of the worst offensive line coaches — both record and against the spread — over the past 15 years. Right away, Jackson is dealing with a significant downgrade at the coaching position.
Then there’s the turnover. The team is starting three new offensive lineman against a Chiefs defense that is better both on the field and the sidelines. They are better coached and have the talent to win one-on-ones. We should expect Jackson’s protection to break down often, forcing him out of the pocket and on the move.
Of course, the Ravens aren’t stupid. That’s part of why John Harbaugh has found success around the talent of Jackson. We should expect designed runs and movement of the pocket to help take pressure off this new line, be it in the trenches or with a new coach.
Jackson is going to run, sometimes by design, other times to avoid a sack. Either way, he will hit 50 rushing yards.
DraftKings Pick6 Prediction: Lamar Jackson More Than 49.5 Rushing Yards
Justin Tucker M/L Than 6.5 Kicking Points
“Two field goals and an extra point” sounds like Justin Tucker’s debut album. Looking at Jackson’s projections, it shouldn’t be hard to reach a conclusion on where to go next. The Ravens will find ways to move the ball, even with chunk plays on offense, but the Chiefs defense will tighten down closer to the red zone. Third downs are going to be crucial as Steve Spagnuolo puts on pressure against a poorly structured and coached offensive line.
Sure, there might be a few drives that simply stall, but the Ravens won’t be greedy for chances either. It’s Week 1 in prime time, and they will settle for longer field goal attempts with Tucker as insurance. He should get to three to four made field goal as he saves whatever hope the Ravens have in keeping this close. Patrick Mahomes’ and Andy Reid’s jobs remain to run up the score and force Baltimore to throw. That’s a dangerous spot to be. Before the Ravens become truly desperate, they will settle for simply points on the board.
DraftKings Pick6 Prediction: Justin Tucker More Than 6.5 Kicking Points
