While we don’t know who will win the NFL Divisional round contests, we do know who will be in charge of tossing flags and calling the shots, with the officiating assignments being released for this weekend’s action.
In Baltimore, we know that the crew of veteran ref John Hussey will officiate the Ravens’ showdown Saturday against the Houston Texans (ESPN, 4:30). Any information, even assignment of officials, must be considered when mulling a wager in Maryland sports betting.
At the moment, oddsmakers from ESPN BET Maryland have the Ravens as a nine-point and -400 moneyline home favorite over the Texans (+320).
With Hussey and his crew being announced for the Ravens-Texans game, BetMaryland.com investigated his statistics as a referee to see how it might impact the game and those who bet it.
We have followed the Ravens’ Super Bowl odds all season and now the playoffs begin in Baltimore.
John Hussey’s 2023-24 Penalty Statistics
What Crew Means for Ravens Bettors
This year, Hussey and his crew have ranked fifth out of 17 NFL officiating teams in terms of penalties per game, at 14.56, while ranking atop the league in penalty yards per game, at 106.94, according to NFLPenalties.com.
Hussey’s group also ranked second among NFL crews in total away penalties per game (at 6.81) and seventh out of 17 crews in terms of home penalties per game (5.5), which could help the Ravens when it comes to the number of infractions that are caught by the zebras this weekend.
As far as betting trends are concerned, NFL contests that Hussey & Co. have called have scored 24.94 points per game on average, with a 12-3-1 record ATS for the home team and a 6-9-1 mark against the pregame over/under total.
For reference, the over/under on Saturday’s Ravens-Texans game at BetMGM Maryland is currently set at 43.5. Houston cleared that number by themselves in their 45-14 shellacking of the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card round.
One way or another, we’ll know one side of the AFC Championship Game bracket come Saturday evening in the Charm City, with Hussey and his crew calling the action from M&T Bank Stadium. Count on BetMaryland.com to follow the Ravens’ playoff run as well as provide Maryland sportsbook promos.
