Last season, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback won the league MVP and the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback bagged his third Super Bowl MVP
Despite the achievements, Mahomes is still miles ahead of Jackson because of the three rings in his closet.
In comparison, the 27-year-old only managed two post-season wins, even though he’s 58-19 in the regular season.
In 2023, he led the Ravens to finish as the #1 seed in the AFC and defeated the exciting Houston Texans to book a place in the conference title game. However, Mahomes and the Chiefs got the better of them.
These two teams will face each other again in week 1 of the 2024 season, and Jackson wants payback. In his eyes, it’s the start of his redemption ark.
Jackson must defeat teams like the Chiefs to be crowned as a Super Bowl contender. In four head-to-head games against the 6 time Pro Bowler, Jackson only ever won 1 game in his career. Defeating them on the opening weekend should give the Ravens the much-required confidence to go on to dominate the AFC.
The Chiefs are a balanced side, with a good mixture of veteran and fresh talents. Last season, however, they lost their first game against the Detroit Lions. To be fair, the Chiefs played without All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones.
When both players started games together, the Chiefs looked like the team to beat. Jones had 10.5 sacks, and 47 successful tackles, including 29 solo, seven tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. When the Chiefs receivers could not stop dropping passes, their defense ranked in the top 10 consistently throughout the season.
The Baltimore Ravens are also one of the best defenses in the league, led by Justin Madubuike. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle had a career-defining year in 2023, recording a team-high 13 sacks for 90 yards, including 56 tackles (38 solo), with two forced fumbles and 12 tackles for loss. Let’s not forget Lamar Jackson, who threw 307 completions for 3678 yards, and 24 touchdowns, along with 148 carries for 821 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns.
Odds between the Chiefs and the Ravens
According to SportsLine sportsbook, the Chiefs are 3-point favorites to secure a win over the Ravens.
- Chiefs vs. Ravens spread: Chiefs -3
- Chiefs vs. Ravens over/under: 46.5 points
- Chiefs vs. Ravens money line: Chiefs -151, Ravens +127
The game between the Chiefs and the Ravens will take place at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, 5th September.
