When the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons play Thursday night, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the lead change hands quite a few times. Pro Football Reference charted each NFL team’s point differential by quarter. While neither team has done very well in first quarters, with the Falcons ranking 26th and the Ravens 21st, the rest of the game should offer some better football for our prime time audience.
The Falcons are the league’s second-best second-quarter team, behind only the Indianapolis Colts, while the Ravens are fifth. Baltimore should be expected to take the third quarter, since they’re ranked third as opposed to Atlanta’s 24th. And if the Falcons are within a score going into the fourth, home team fans should feel confident: they’re the league’s second-best fourth-quarter team, and the Ravens are 23rd.
So the math says the game will be very close at the half, with the Falcons working to come back in the fourth quarter. Do with that what you will.