Ravens vs. Patriots: Odds, TV Schedule, Predictions for 2015 AFC Divisional Game

Amid a divisional round of the 2015 NFL playoffs that features one enticing matchup after another, there isn't a better single game on tap than the Baltimore Ravens' visit to the New England Patriots.

There's revenge at stake for the Patriots, who were toppled by Baltimore in Foxborough some two seasons ago en route to the Ravens' Super Bowl championship. Meanwhile, John Harbaugh's squad hasn't made the postseason since that run, and is in hot pursuit of a return trip.

It was unclear whether the Ravens would be players in the postseason weeks ago, but nobody is doubting them after a 30-17 stomping of Pittsburgh on the road to begin the playoffs.

Here's a final look at everything to know for Ravens-Patriots.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

When: Saturday, January 10, 2015

Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Start Time: 4:35 p.m.

TV: NBC

Spread (via Odds Shark): NE -7, over/under 47.5

Ravens vs. Patriots Preview

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

This may be the one matchup the Patriots didn't want to see in the divisional round, but they got it, as Mike Florio of NBC's Pro Football Talk noted:

Of course, the primary reason would be that the Ravens just have New England's number come playoff time. In the Bill Belichick era, the Pats are just 1-2 in the postseason against Baltimore.

But a staple of those Ravens teams was a balanced, hard-hitting defense that sent Tom Brady tumbling to the turf and throwing costly interceptions. Even in their last matchup, the Ravens defense boasted future Hall of Fame talents in Ed Reed and Ray Lewis.

Both teams know 2014—and now 2015—features different teams with different players, as Brady told WEEI.com this week:

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“Everything’s different at this point. We can never change anything that’s happened in the past, nor can they. You can’t bring players out of retirement, they can’t either. It’s the guys we’ve got vs. the guys they’ve got, which that’s an entirely new team that we have and an entirely new team that they have. There’s some carryover, there’s some characteristics that are the same, but these teams have established their own identities. It’s going to be the Patriots’ 2014 version vs. the Ravens’ 2014 version and we go from there.

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One aspect of the game that the 2014 Patriots might expose that the 2012 version could not is the Ravens secondary.

The transition from the Reed era has been tough, as Baltimore's passing defense ranked a lowly 23rd in the league during the regular season. Even in a 13-point win over the Steelers last week, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 334 yards and kept his team hanging around late.

How the Ravens might make life difficult on Brady, however, is taking away the run game. Baltimore boasts a fourth-ranked rushing defense, with star linebacker Terrell Suggs wreaking havoc all season.

Brady heaped plenty of praise on Suggs' game this week, which surprised the Ravens linebacker, per NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala:

Offensive success won't matter much for the Patriots if their defense cannot slow down the red-hot Joe Flacco.

In his last five postseason games, Flacco has been dealing it out with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions throughout a span that included a Super Bowl win. New England has Darrelle Revis on the outside to help lock down one wideout, but otherwise ranks 17th in pass defense as a unit.

Those stats can be misconstrued, however, due to the fact that New England has led in most of its games and forced teams to air it out almost exclusively. 

The Ravens have too much playoff experience not to come out strong out of the gates, but they go up against a seasoned playoff unit, playing with a healthy roster on its home soil. The Patriots have too many weapons offensively for Baltimore to contain, and will sneak out a single-digit win to advance.

Prediction: Patriots 29, Ravens 20