One single coronavirus case won’t keep the NFL down. This weekend has been a success, depending on how you look at it, and it’s time to take a look at Monday Night Football (MNF) and the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.

Both teams are fierce rivals and two of the best quarterbacks will compete tonight.  Baltimore has lost three straight games in the series, including one each in the last two seasons, so they’re looking for a comeback.

Ravens and Chiefs Off To Great Start

The Chiefs have shown a good start in the 2020 season, getting two wins under their belts. The first was a decisive win against the Houston Texans, but it took overtime to secure the second season game, against the LA Chargers.  Mahomes took control of the team and racked up 356 yards total yards to finally win, 23-20.

The Ravens offense has yielded good results for the last two weeks.  They won 38-6 over the Cleveland Browns and had a 33-16 victory over the Texans.  Thus far, quarterback Lamar Jackson is on top of his game, reaching a 77.6% completion rate and four passing touchdowns with no interceptions against the Texans.

Tonight Is Killer Matchup

NFL fans will be thrilled to watch this game between these two great rivals, and this might be the best MNF matchup since the awesome game between the Chiefs and the LA Rams back in November 2018 at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said Saturday, “You play the game to play against the best, man.  It’s no hidden secret that the Baltimore Ravens are one of the best teams in the National Football League.  Going up against them is a huge and great challenge for us.  That’s what you get excited for.  That’s why you play the game, in my mind.”

Unfortunately, tonight’s game won’t see any fans at M&T Bank Stadium.  This is because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the sport industry across the country.  Having no audience represents a strong drawback for the Ravens, as the stadium often plays an important role for the home team.  They will miss their fans’ support and it could lead them to run into trouble.

This Is QB Competition

The quarterbacks are going to be hugely important for the two teams tonight.  At the same time, the run game is crucial if the Chiefs expect to win.  Last year, they picked up more than six yards per carry from Darrel Williams and LeSean McCoy, but, last week, the running backs were not enough.  The offensive line and Mahomes are feeling more pressure because of this and will have to step up against a stronger team tonight.

On the other hand, the Ravens play their game as a time-killer.  Indeed, they outsmarted Kansas City by accumulating 203 rushing yards to the Chiefs’ 140 in last year’s game and possessed the ball for five minutes more than did Kansas City.  However, it was not enough to pick up the win.  The Ravens have a nice rotation with players like Mark Ingram II, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, and cycling through the set is going to be important for a win tonight.

One drawback for both teams is that they are facing small injury issues.  The good news is that the injuries aren’t impacting key players.  It’s easy to imagine this game being a fight until the very last second ticks away.

Place Your Bets Carefully

The Ravens are getting -182 at BetMGM on the moneyline tonight, while the Chiefs are long at +155.  Other sportsbooks are putting up similar odds, with Baltimore hovering around -175 or so; the Chiefs are averaging about +150.  Given a Ravens win, the spread of -3.5 (-110) is a no-brainer.  Most of the games this season have gone Over, a trend that could continue tonight.  With two powerhouse offenses driving the ball, the Over/Under of 54.5 (-110) is definitely looking to be beat.