Ravens vs. Texans prediction, odds, line, spread: 2024 NFL playoff ...

A showdown between elite quarterbacks will take place on Saturday in the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL playoffs. C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans will visit Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, where the weather forecast is calling for plenty of wind and temperatures below freezing. Stroud and Jackson squared in the former's NFL debut, when the Ravens knocked off the Texans, 25-9, in Week 1 this season.

Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. ET in Baltimore. The Ravens are 9.5-point favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 43.5 in the latest Ravens vs. Texans odds from SportsLine consensus. Before you make any Texans vs. Ravens picks, you need to see what proven SportsLine NFL expert Mike Tierney has to say, considering his mastery of picks involving the Ravens.

A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. He is coming off a typically strong 2022 NFL season in which he went 68-54-6, returning $815 to $100 players.

In addition, he is an amazing 48-18-2 on his last 70 NFL picks in games involving the Ravens, returning a whopping $2,810. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, the model has set its sights on Texans vs. Ravens and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several NFL odds and betting trends for Texans vs. Ravens:

• Ravens vs. Texans spread: Baltimore -9.5
• Ravens vs. Texans Over/Under: 43.5 points  
• Ravens vs. Texans money line: Baltimore -451, Houston +348
• HOU: Texans are 10-7-1 against the spread this season
• BAL: Ravens are 11-6 against the spread this season 
• Ravens vs. Texans picks: See picks at SportsLine 
• Ravens vs. Texans live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why Ravens can cover

The Ravens have a commanding and stifling defense. Baltimore constantly flies to the ball and creates havoc for offenses. They were sixth in the NFL in total defense (301.4) and passing defense (191.9). Additionally, they led the NFL in team sacks (60). This unit has a top-notch linebacker duo causing problems.

Linebacker Roquan Smith has superb play recognition skills to quickly sniff out plays. Smith continues to be an excellent run-defender. The two-time All-Pro selection was sixth in the league in total tackles (158). He recorded eight games with double-digit stops. Linebacker Patrick Queen is a rangy force with strong sideline-to-sideline speed. Queen was second on the squad in total tackles (133) with nine tackles for loss. In the Week 1 win over the Texans, the LSU product logged 11 total stops and one pass deflection. See which team to pick here.

Why Texans can cover

Houston has a strong array of pass-catchers in the aerial attack. Nico Collins has stepped up in 2023 and became the No. 1 weapon for the Texans. Collins has strong body control and tracks the ball well when it's in the air. The Michigan product was eighth in the NFL in receiving yards (1,297) and tied for eighth in touchdowns (eight). During the regular season, Collins went over 100 receiving yards in five games.

In the Wild Card win over the Browns, Collins had six grabs for 95 yards and a score. Tight end Dalton Schultz brings a sense of consistency to the Texans. Schultz has secure hands with good speed and runs solid routes. He finished the year with 59 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns. In his last outing, he reeled in a 37-yard touchdown grab. See which team to pick here.

How to make Texans vs. Ravens picks

Tierney has analyzed Texans vs. Ravens and while we can tell you he's leaning Over the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.

Who wins Texans vs. Ravens in the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL playoffs and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texans vs. Ravens spread hits hard, all from the expert who is 48-18 on picks involving Baltimore, and find out.