Baltimore Ravens vs. Minnesota Vikings: Odds, Analysis, NFL Betting Pick

The Minnesota Vikings (4-2) will attempt to win their third straight game and first against an AFC team this season when they host the Baltimore Ravens (3-3) on Sunday as solid home favorites.

The Vikings suffered a 26-9 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 and have since won three of four.

NFL point spread: The Vikings opened as 4.5-point favorites; the total was 39.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 28.6-12.2 Vikings (NFL picks on every game)

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Why the Ravens can cover the spread

For whatever reason, the Ravens seem to play better on the road. After upsetting the Oakland Raiders 30-17 in Week 5 as three-point road underdogs, they fell to the Chicago Bears 27-24 in overtime last Sunday as 5-point home favorites.

Baltimore also blanked the Cincinnati Bengals 20-0 away from home in the season-opener as a 2.5-point road dog.

Defensively, the Ravens simply need to put pressure on Minnesota quarterback Case Keenum, who has been overachieving since taking over as the starter.

Why the Vikings can cover the spread

The Vikings are coming off a huge 23-10 win over the Green Bay Packers last week, knocking out Aaron Rodgers in the process with a broken collarbone.

Without Rodgers leading Green Bay's offense, Minnesota has become the favorite to win the NFC North, but the team cannot take anything for granted after that injury. Sure, Baltimore just lost to Chicago at home, but that Bears team almost beat the Vikings two weeks ago.

The favored team in this series has won each of the past seven meetings straight up, giving Minnesota another advantage.

Smart pick

This is a big game for the Vikings, who want to stay atop the division against an inferior opponent.

The Ravens have failed to cover the spread in six of their last seven games during October, and they have also lost five in a row SU on the road to teams with winning records.

Minnesota is 15-4 SU and 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games as a home favorite too, and that may be the most important betting trend in this game. Take the Vikings to extend their winning streak and cover the spread in the process.

NFL betting trends

The favored team is 7-0 SU in its last seven games in this matchup.

The total has gone over in the Ravens' last three games against the Vikings.

The Vikings are 24-10 ATS in their last 34 games in the early afternoon.

All NFL odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.