The Baltimore Ravens season is nearly here, and the expectations continue to balloon by the day.
No longer is there a contract dispute with Lamar Jackson who has re-signed for years to come. No longer does the offense lack weapons at the receiver position. Even the coaching staff has been revamped. To some, the Ravens have the look of a dark horse contender in the AFC.
This has fans and bettors excited and that only means good things for the Maryland sports betting market which continues to grow by the day.
So, if that excitement was to entice a fan to travel to watch the Ravens play away from Baltimore, what are the best and worst options available?
8. Week 8 at Arizona Cardinals
There is no denying traveling to Arizona to watch the Ravens take on the Cardinals would be the worst road game to attend this season.
The Cardinals are a rebuilding franchise with a first-year head coach at the helm and an extremely flawed roster. Kyler Murray, their hope for the future, is still out for the foreseeable future after tearing his ACL on Dec. 12 of last year and might not be back in time for this game.
Not only is the team bad, but the heat in the city has been worse. Sure, this matchup is not until Oct. 29, but it might still be over 100 degrees in Glendale by the time it gets here.
7. Week 16 at San Francisco 49ers
This might be a hot take but hear me out. One of the worst trips a Ravens fan could go on this year is to see Baltimore take on the 49ers in San Francisco on Christmas Day.
Why would someone want to take a day that should be filled with joy like Christmas and potentially ruin it like that? Taking a vacation to rainy and cold San Francisco to watch the Ravens try and overcome arguably the deepest team in the league on Monday Night Football with possible playoff implications could be a recipe for disaster.
Sure, there could be upside if the Ravens win, but the downsides if they lose are horrible. This is not the Christmas gift you want to give to yourself or loved ones.
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6. Week 4 at Cleveland Browns
There is nothing wrong with the Browns, and Cleveland is probably beautiful in early October, but I am having trouble finding anything interesting enough to make me want to hop on a plane and be a part of the action.
The game is too early in the season to have any real stakes and the Browns have the scheme to gunk up the Ravens offense. If you want a low scoring affair in Cleveland without playoff implications, this game is for you.
Any fan looking to travel with the Ravens should probably look elsewhere to get the most bang for their buck.
5. Week 15 at Jacksonville Jaguars
By the time mid-December rolls around, it can get very cold in Baltimore. Sometimes that simple fact is enough to push some toward vacationing. So, why not take a flight to Florida to soak up some sun and see the Ravens take on the Jaguars?
The last full game Lamar Jackson played was against the Jaguars, but things did not end so well for the Ravens. It was a thriller that ended with rising star Trevor Lawrence orchestrating two fourth-quarter comebacks including a final minute touchdown and two-point conversion to steal the win.
Between the possibility of a great game and a respite from the cold, the Jacksonville road trip does not look so bad.
4. Week 2 at Cincinnati Bengals
If this game was later in the season, it could take the top spot on this list. But if a fan is only going to take one flight to go see the Ravens play away from Baltimore this season, does it really make sense to do so in the first couple weeks of the season?
Yes, Joe Burrow is one of the elite quarterbacks in football which is enough to justify the price of admission for some. Super fans might also want to see the Ravens take revenge after the Bengals ended their season in the Wildcard round last year. This battle between the Ravens and Bengals could set the tone for the rest of the season even.
Still, the second week of the season just seems too early to put it above the final three road games on this list.
3. Week 5 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sandwiched between a road game in Cleveland and a long trip to London is the Ravens battle with their long-time division rival Steelers.
The reason this game kicks off the top three on this list of best Ravens road trips is because it almost certainly will be an epic battle. Seven of the last eight games in the Steel City between these two teams have been decided by five points or less, and the Ravens have the talent advantage.
Few things in life as are sweet as watching your favorite team beat their rivals on their own field in a close game. Getting that chance before the winter gets too terrible in Pittsburgh makes this a great option for fans.
2. Week 12 at Los Angeles Chargers
Again, it can get cold in Maryland during the winter. That makes it even sweeter when flying to Los Angeles to watch the Ravens take on the electric Chargers in late November.
Last season, the Chargers true talent was buried beneath a heap of injury issues but with their roster healthy again and star quarterback Justin Herbert under center, their potential is much greater. Add in Quentin Johnston as a rookie wide receiver to help the passing game and the Chargers can look downright menacing.
If someone wants to see the Ravens play a game with high stakes in a great city with great weather, it is hard to beat this road trip to Los Angeles.
1. Week 6 vs Tennessee Titans in London
The undeniable best Ravens road trip of the season will be traveling to London to watch Baltimore take on the Titans.
Yes, the Ravens have only terrible experiences playing in London after being obliterated in 2017 by the Jaguars to the tune of a 44-7 loss. But this game should be different. The Ravens are simply better than the retooling Titans who are relying on the decaying skills of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry.
If a fan wanted to take a dream vacation that included seeing the Ravens play, there is no better option this season than going to London to watch Baltimore play in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against an inferior opponent.
Photo illustration by PlayMaryland. Ravens fan photo: Associated Press; London landscape: Shutterstock
