The Minnesota Vikings' decision to facilitate Brett Favre's latest 'unretirement' is looking better and better with each passing week. This past Sunday, Favre's charges moved to 6-0 on the season with a wild 33-31 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens posted 21 fourth quarter points to charge back and claim the lead late, but Favre led a rally to set up place kicker Ryan Longwell's 31 yard game winning field goal. Baltimore evened their record at 3-3 on the season with the loss.
Minnesota has been one of the surprise teams of the season, and that fact has also enriched those who bet on NFL football. They didn't get the money on this occasion, however, as the Ravens took the cheese as a +3 road underdog. Still, it was only the Vikings' second loss of the year against the NFL pointspread (4-2) while Baltimore has also been solid against the number with a 4-2 mark. The cover broke a two game ATS losing streak for the Ravens. The 64 combined points soared OVER the posted total of 45'.
Baltimore QB Joe Flacco got the Ravens in range for a last second game winning field goal, but Steven Hauschka's 44 yard try went wide left. After the game, he took his miss hard:
"It's tough for me. I feel like I let them down. That's something I have to live with."
Ravens' running back Ray Rice disputed Hauschka's scapegoat status:
"We didn't lose that game because of Hauschka's miss. If we start fast and put points on the board, our defense starts fast, I think the game is a totally different outcome. But that's what happens when you play against great teams."
Flacco praised his team for fighting back from a 27-10 fourth quarter deficit:
"We realize what kind of fighters we have in our locker room and that's what we're going to use the rest of the year. I think we were 3-3 last year, not that that matters, but we can overcome anything."
Ray Lewis concurred with his quarterback's comments:
"Every game has been a game of inches. But for me, being in this business for so long, it just speaks volumes for our team in the way we fight, regardless of the circumstance we've been put in."
The Vikings now face arguably their toughest scheduling stretch of the season, beginning with a trip to the 'Steel City' for a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The following week Minnesota heads to Green Bay for what is sure to be an emotional return for Favre. They'll then get a much needed break via a bye week and a November 15th game against the lowly Detroit Lions. The Ravens will face another undefeated team after a bye week, hosting the Denver Broncos on November 1.
Author Resource:
Ross Everett is a consulting handicapper for Sports-1 Sportsbook as well as a freelance sportswriter specializing in fight sports, investing strategy and how to bet on NFL football. He is a well known authority on Internet sports betting , fine dining and fencing. He lives in southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a pet wallaby.
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