The New England Patriots are 8-0 at the halway point of the 2019 regular season after beating the Cleveland Browns 27-13 in a Week 8 matchup at Gillette Stadium, and now the defending Super Bowl champions' schedule is about to get much tougher.

The Patriots will travel on the road in Week 9 to play Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on NBC's "Sunday Night Football." The Ravens had a bye in Week 8, so they should be well-rested and prepared for the challenge that awaits in the Pats. New England is the lone unbeaten team in the AFC, therefore Baltimore has a tremendous opportunity to send a message to the rest of the league and prove its mettle by earning a win over the Patriots.

Oddsmakers like the Patriots' chances, but the opening spread is not a big one. The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas has pegged Tom Brady and Co. as slim 4-point betting favorites over the Ravens.

The Patriots are 6-2 against the spread after barely covering a double-digit line Sunday against the Browns. The Ravens are 5-2 overall and sit atop the AFC North division. Jackson is a legitimate MVP candidate and has proven himself to be, at least so far, the best quarterback from the 2018 draft class.

New England will need to play better than it did versus Cleveland, especially on offense, to beat Baltimore on the road and remain unbeaten. The Ravens are without question a much better team than any opponent the Patriots have played so far in 2019.

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