The Ravens have been favored to win most of their games this season, but oddsmakers have assigned them long odds in Sunday?s AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.
The early betting lines out of Las Vegas have the New England Patriots favored by? 7 1/2 to 9 points.
The Ravens don?t mind, linebacker Jarret Johnson said Monday.
?We like being the underdog. We?re used to it. I think we handle it better psychologically [than being favored]. I don?t know why, but I think we do,? Johnson said.
The Patriots, the top seed in the AFC playoffs, routed the Denver Broncos in their divisional-round game last weekend, while the second-seeded Ravens struggled before eliminating the Houston Texans Sunday.
?Should we be [underdogs]? I don?t know. It?s their place. They?re the No. 1 seed. They earned it. They?ve got the top offense in the league. They deserve to be the top team,? Johnson said.
Most fans could cite a litany of trends and statistics to build a case for why the Patriots should be favored so heavily; they have won three Super Bowl titles under coach Bill Belichick.
Torrey Smith, the Ravens rookie wide receiver, might not have those trends and statistics committed to memory, but he uses other data that underscore how good the Patriots are.
?My brother always plays [as] them on Madden,? Smith told reporters Monday, referring to the popular NFL video game.
Even though Smith has never played against the Patriots -- the real ones -- and doesn?t know their personnel especially well, ?I would lie to you if I said I didn?t know their names,? he said. ?My brother, I?m telling you, [plays as them] every single time.?
It was interesting that Johnson said the Ravens actually prefer the underdog role. Before Sunday?s game, they had played seven straight playoff games on the road under coach John Harbaugh -- as the underdog more often than not. Playing as home favorites for the first time Sunday, they did not give one of their better performances.
After being expected to win, now they?re back in the familiar role of going on the road and having little to lose.
They don?t mind.
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