NFL Football

2025-09-22 - Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens

A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown

Detroit Lions @ Baltimore Ravens
United States : NFL Week 3
Monday 22nd September 2025 - Scheduled 8:15pm
1:15am (British Time)

Preview

There was every chance that the Detroit Lions (1-1) and Baltimore Ravens (1-1) could have met in the Super Bowl last season, but both suffered disappointing Playoff defeats.

Despite that, both teams will have entered 2025 with big ambitions and those will not have been dented over the first two weeks of the season. After both the Lions and Ravens were beaten in Week 1, the teams showed how much confidence they are still carrying by putting blowout wins on the board in Week 2.

Home wins over the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns respectively are one thing, but the Lions and Ravens meet in this very good looking Monday Night Football game.

It is Baltimore who will be hosting and they are led by Lamar Jackson on the Offensive side of the ball, a Quarter Back who has loved playing in this prime time spot. He has made another solid start to the 2025 season, although Jackson is well aware that most are going to be judging him on his ability to lead Baltimore to a deep Playoff run rather than the regular season successes.

The AFC North looks pretty weak after Joe Burrow went down with an injury, but this non-Conference game may still mean something to Baltimore to remind the rest of the NFL that they are a team that have to be taken very, very seriously. The capitulation at the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 will have been a little concerning, but overall the first two performances have been solid.

Baltimore will feel pretty confident when they have the ball in their own hands.

The team have been able to run very effectively behind this Offensive Line and with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry being a tandem that is hard to defend. The Lions Defensive Line can be pretty stout up front, but they will have to keep the eyes wide open to see how the Ravens are trying to establish the run and not many teams have found the right reads to stop them.

Lamar Jackson is without some key Receivers on this side of the ball, but he will have an easier time trying to convert out of third and manageable spots on the field.

The Quarter Back should be able to move the chains, but there are some questions about the Baltimore Defensive unit that will be without veteran leader Kyle Van Noy and Nnamdi Madubuike.

This could offer the Detroit Lions an opportunity to establish the run, which is hugely important to them on the Offensive side of the ball, even without Taylor Decker who looks to be downgraded and potentially having to sit out. Taylor Decker is a key part of the Offensive Line, but the Lions do have a couple of Running Backs that will feel they can hurt the Ravens on the ground.

Jared Goff will be a different test for the Ravens if he is playing in third and manageable and having the play-action open up for him. The Quarter Back will have noted some of the plays that this Baltimore Secondary have already allowed this season, and he has been well protected and will have some time to make the throws down the field.

It is a game where turnovers will be key, while home field could also be a determining factor in a game where the two Offenses could be moving the ball with a lot of consistency.

The Lions do have a very good record as the underdog since Head Coach Dan Campbell came in to reset the culture, while Lamar Jackson has not been the best home favourite to get behind.

However, those spots are 0-1 (Detroit) and 1-0 (Lamar Jackson and Baltimore) in the early stages of the 2025 season, while the Ravens are 9-5 against the spread when set as the home favourite on Monday Night Football.

This is a dangerous number, but the Baltimore Ravens can find a way to win this one by around a Touchdown margin to move above 0.500 for the first time this season.