2025 NFL Picks – Week 3: Lions at Ravens

The Matchup. Edge: Ravens.

This week on ESPN, we’re going to have awful announcers calling the shots instead the great preseason homers like Kevin Reilly, Ron Wolfley and Don Tollefson, inept ESPN guys Emmitt, Herman Edwards, and aloof people like Jay Cutler. Here’s what it would sound like if some of these dudes (and some special guests) were calling this game:

Reilly: Welcome to the city of Motors where tonight the Detroit Tigers host the Baltimore Colts. Will Jordan Golf beat the purple guys who have Ray Lewis? Who cares!? Guys, this is ridiculous. It’s been three weeks, and my Philadelphia Eagles have yet to be featured on Monday Night Football. If this continues, I’m going to quit and focus on my Nick Foles bobblehead collection instead. Mark my words, broadcasting network, you’ll be without the greatest football announcer in the world soon if you continue this nonsense!

Emmitt: Thanks, Mark. I think you need to you need to focus on better player if you going to booster your bubble head collectionism. Nick Folds once wonned a Super Game but he no longer playing in the National League of Football. Maybe you gonna get a good player like Lamar Johnson or Patrick Mah- uhh, MahJohnson.

Reilly: Emmitt, believe me, no one is a bigger football expert than me, so no one knows how much Patrick MahJohnson and Lamar Johnson suck more than me. In fact, you suck for telling me to give up my Nick Foles bobblehead collection. Foles is a god amongst men, and I know that one day my Nick Foles bobblehead collection will be worth millions, if not billions. Idiots collect Bitcoin, which Mother says is the devil. I collect Nick Foles bobbleheads, which are more lucrative.

Tollefson: Reilly, if you really want to get into the investment game, can I interest you in my meme coin, WomenSlaves.X? It’s only worth 0.001 cents right now, but I have a price target of $10 on it, so if you buy a million coins, you will be worth $10 million. Trust me. WomenSlaves.X is backed by female slaves, and as someone who is deep in the game, I guarantee that this will carry value, and I guarantee that I won’t dump my coins into the open market, lowering their value to 0.0000001.

Reilly: Tolly, I’m not pretending to be Jack Reilly, so I can’t talk to women without getting into trouble with Mother, and I certainly can’t own any meme coins, though it sounds like a great deal. Maybe Mother will one day allow me to own meme coins, but she says that is the devil as well. Speaking of things Mother calls the devil, Clarissa Thomas is going to bring us the latest from the field. Clarissa?

Charissa Thompson: Thanks, Mark. Before I give you my report from the field, I’d like to sell you on my meme coin, InaccurateReports.X. It’s backed by inaccurate reports from sideline reporters. This, of course, does not include me because I’m giving you great reports like the latest: Barry Sanders has returned from the underworld and will play quarterback for Detroit tonight. Back to you, Jack!

Tollefson: This gives me a great idea. What if in addition to enslaving living women, I go to the underworld and kidnap deceased women and force them to cook and clean naked for me?

Reilly: Tolly, if necromancy were a thing, I’d destroy Charles Davis and then go to the underworld and bring him back to life so I could destroy him again. Ha! But before Charles Davis can get in a word and call me names, let’s go to our new special analyst, Mina Kimes, who told us last week that Geno Smith is a top-one quarterback.

Mina Kimes: I don’t think you realize how impressive it was for me to come up with that tidbit for you last week. I had to overcome being not only a woman, but an Asian woman, so it’s about 729 times harder for me to give you absolute gems like that fact. That’s why I want you to buy my meme coin, OppressedAsianWomanNFLAnalyst.X. This meme coin is powered by oppressed female Asian NFL analysts who give you absolute golden nuggets like Geno Smith being a top-one quarterback. I swear, I won’t rug pull you either.

Reilly: Why does everyone have a meme coin!? What about you, blonde NFL female reporter?

JourdanRodrigue: Please buy my meme coin, FemaleReporterWhoDoesn’tReportOnHerNFLTeam.X!

Reilly: I feel so left out. New Daddy, please tell Mother that I need to sell a meme coin. Or, do you also have meme coins to sell?

Jay Cutler: I don’t care if I make money or not, but please buy MyStepSonIsALoser.X.

Reilly: New Daddy, who is your stepson? He must be a real loser if you named your coin after him. I’m your stepson, too, but I’m a cool guy who collects Nick Foles bobbleheads, so I can’t possibly be a loser.

Charles Davis: Kevin, I have lots of meme coins to sell you, Kevin. How about KevinReillySucks.X, Kevin? I like KevinReillyHasNoFriends.X, Kevin. Next is KevinReillyLivesInHisMom’sBasement.X, Kevin. What do you think about KevinHasNeverTouchedAGirl.X, Kevin? Let’s-

Reilly: Charles Davis, first of all, I don’t live in my mom’s basement; I have my own bedroom on the second floor. And I touched a girl because I give Mother foot massages every Saturday night. So, take that, loser! We’ll be back after this!

BALTIMORE OFFENSE: The Lions have a long history of struggling against mobile quarterbacks. Josh Allen had his best game of the season against Detroit in 2024, while Lamar Jackson tore the Lions defense apart the prior year. Jackson will have a second shot of doing so this week.

There’s no reason to think that Jackson shouldn’t have another great game. The Lions aren’t full strength because they’re still missing a few starters who were injured last year. Jackson is playing great football right now, and there’s an outside possibility he’ll have a new weapon at his disposal with Isaiah Likely due back soon.

The Lions will at least have a chance to contain Derrick Henry. Detroit has possessed a pass-funnel defense in recent years, but the team has done a good job of bottling up rushers. Henry will still have a chance to have some big gains, but this is not a positive matchup for him.

DETROIT OFFENSE: The Lions couldn’t generate any sort of offense in the opening game, but managed to get their act together this past Sunday. Of course, that was very easy to do because the Bears have a poor defense that wasn’t addressed this offseason.

Baltimore’s defense is much closer to Green Bay’s than Chicago’s. This wasn’t the case last year when the Ravens were torched often in the first half of the season, but they’ve corrected their issues and now have talent in the defensive backfield. They’re also better at rushing the passer, which isn’t good news for Jared Goff, who will continue to play behind an offensive line that lost its top two interior blockers this past spring.

Like the Ravens, the Lions won’t have much luck moving the chains with their running backs. Baltimore is stout versus the rush, so Jahmyr Gibbs will be contained for the most part.

RECAP: Anyone who was worried about the Lions after Week 1 felt better about them after last week’s 52-21 victory over Chicago. Everyone but me, that is.

I’m still bearish on the Lions. The issue with the two new coordinators and the regression of the offensive line won’t just go away because of a win over a bad team that had a short week of preparation. They looked pathetic against the Packers, a team that is obviously in Group A, and now they’ll have to battle another team in Group A.

The Lions have not had a good history with these Group A teams. They were blown out in Baltimore two years ago, while Buffalo took it to them last season. They had a lead against the 49ers in the NFC Championship two years ago, but they had a miserable second half and were lucky to cover.

I like the Ravens to cover the -6. You could maybe talk me into the Lions if they had their personnel and offensive linemen from last year, but they’re all gone. The Ravens are better, and there’s no reason to expect them to be unfocused in this marquee matchup.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: Thus far, the public is on the Ravens, while the sharps are backing Detroit. I don’t get why the sharps like the Lions so much, but then again, I’m extremely low on them to begin with.

SATURDAY NOTES: The Ravens have a number of key players who haven’t practiced yet this week, so we’ll have to wait until the injury report is released.

SUNDAY MORNING NOTES: Nnamdi Madubuike is out this week, which is a huge deal. I like the Ravens, but it makes me less likely to bet them.

PLAYER PROPS & SAME-GAME PARLAY: I don’t understand Mark Andrews’ receiving yards prop. It’s at 35.5, yet he hasn’t topped five receiving yards in a game this year. Maybe he rebounds, but he could just be washed. Also, the Lions play well against tight ends. They allowed 19 yards to Tucker Kraft and 26 yards to the combination of Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland. The best number is under 35.5 receiving yards -108 at Caesars. You can Get $1,000 First Bet on Caesars by clicking the link.

BetMGM has a 33-percent profit boost for NFL parlays. We’re going with Andrews under 35.5 receiving yards, Lamar Jackson over 45.5 rushing yards, and David Montgomery under 37.5 rushing yards. This $25 parlay pays $133.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Ravens are going to be missing three key defenders: Nnamdi Madubuike, Kyle Van Noy, and Jaire Alexander. Isaiah Likely is sidelined as well. Given the injuries, as well as the sharp action on the Lions, I’m going to drop my unit count to one. The best line is -4.5 -108 at Bookmaker, followed by -4.5 -110 at BetMGM. However, FanDuel is offering a 50-percent profit boost, up to $50. You can Get $200 in bonus bets from FanDuel by clicking the link.

LIVE BET: Just live bet Lamar Jackson over 36.5 rushing yards -115 at DraftKings (1 unit).

The Motivation. Edge: None.

No edge found.

The Spread. Edge: Lions.

WalterFootball.com Calculated Spread: Ravens -6.

Westgate Advance Point Spread: Ravens -3.5.

Computer Model: Ravens -6.

The Vegas. Edge: Ravens.

Public on the Ravens, sharps on the Lions.

Percentage of money on Baltimore: 65% (294,000 bets)

The Trends. Edge: Ravens.

Lamar Jackson is 16-22 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5+, not counting Week 1.

Opening Line: Ravens -6.

Opening Total: 49.5.

Weather: Chance of thunderstorms, 72 degrees. Light wind.