No, legal sportsbooks in Maryland aren’t live yet. That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck when it comes to placing legal NFL bets on your favorite teams, however.
This Baltimore Ravens betting preview will clue you into not only how to do so but also ways to get in on great bonuses for the Ravens’ season-opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, as well.
MD bettors actually have a lot of options ahead of Monday night’s contest if they’re willing to go a little out of their way. Thanks to sportsbooks’ offers, making some trips might pay off even with the added travel expense.
Baltimore Ravens betting preview: How to bet legally for Monday’s game
The bad news? Sports betting fans are still waiting for legal sportsbooks in Maryland to launch. Thus, when Baltimore faces the Raiders in Las Vegas for the first Monday Night Football game of the 2021 season, MD residents won’t be able to legally bet from their couches.
The good news is that you might be able to do it from someone else’s couch. That’s, of course, provided you’re at least 21 years old and meet other eligibility requirements. All of the jurisdictions that neighbor Maryland have legal sports betting options. They include:
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
What’s more, all those places besides DE also offer legal online wagering. In all of those places, you don’t have to be a resident to place bets. You merely need to satisfy the eligibility requirements like being at least 21.
In fact, you can register for the various sportsbooks from your home in MD. The same goes for depositing funds into your account, browsing the odds, and withdrawing winnings back into your funding source. The only time you have to physically cross the state border into one of those places is when you actually place your bets.
So, if you live in Brookmont, for instance, you can sign up for any VA online sportsbook, make a deposit, prepare your bet slip in the app, then make a quick trip across the Virginia line, finalize your wagers, and then head home to watch the Ravens-Raiders game.
So which sportsbooks are available for your perusal if you live in MD near a border? Between the five jurisdictions with online options, you have quite a wide menu and many of the operators are available in multiple locations.
So many options for MD residents willing to make a short drive
The vast majority of the most popular brands in the country are at your disposal. Here’s a shortlist of the premiere choices and where you can use them.
- BetAmerica: NJ
- BetMGM: NJ, PA, VA, WV, and Washington, D.C. (within a two-block radius of Nationals Park)
- BetRivers Sportsbook: PA, VA, and WV
- Caesars: NJ, PA, VA, WV, and Washington, D.C. (within a two-block radius of the Entertainment & Sports Arena)
- DraftKings: NJ, PA, VA, and WV
- FanDuel: NJ, PA, VA, WV, and licensure pending in Washington, D.C.
- FOX Bet: NJ, PA
- PlaySugarhouse: NJ
- PointsBet Sportsbook: NJ, WV
- Twinspires: PA
- Unibet: NJ, VA
- WynnBet: NJ, VA
If you’re just starting with any of these operators or sports betting in general, you’ve picked a perfect time. Many of these sportsbooks are offering lucrative deals for new customers right now.
The best bonuses and promos for Raiders-Ravens Monday Night
There are so many deals for new customers at these sportsbooks right now, listing all of them would require thousands upon thousands of words. Many are offering special markets and odds boosts just for this first week of the NFL season, and you can use the deals on the Ravens’ game if you like.
Several operators also offer bonus first bets and deposit matches for new customers. Our sister sites have stellar breakdowns of the best offers for each jurisdiction.
Most of the BetMGM and Caesars promos available in the other jurisdictions are valid for use in DC as well. So, how do things look for Baltimore on Monday night and beyond for 2021?
A look at the odds for the Ravens this season
At BetMGM on Friday morning, the Ravens were a four-point favorite on the spread against the Raiders. Caesars has the exact same spread. Both books offer -110 odds on either side of that market. The two books also have a consensus total of 50.5 points for Monday, again, with -110 odds on both sides.
BetMGM’s moneyline on Baltimore is a little more forgiving at -190, however. Caesars requires you to put up $200 to win $100 (-200). If you’re looking more long-term, there is some continuity in those odds as well.
For example, both DraftKings and FanDuel have the Ravens +1400 to win Super Bowl LVI. That line is sure to see some change as the season progresses, so whether it’s a good time to buy in on that is completely up to you.
Those odds could change due to injuries, among other things. Baltimore fears that both running back Gus Edwards and cornerback Marcus Peters have suffered significant knee injuries ahead of the season-opener. Additionally, the status of wide receiver Sammy Watkins is unclear for Monday night for now.
These situations and more will require your attention as you wager on the Ravens this season. Until MD sports betting apps go live, these are your options for doing so legally and safely.
