Bengals vs. Ravens NFL Week 5 Vegas spread, betting odds: Lamar Jackson not likely in doubt for matchup vs. Joe Burrow

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was held out of practice for precautionary reasons Wednesday with a minor knee injury, causing some waves around the league. While it was only the third practice that Jackson had missed in his three-year career, there is no expectation that the reigning NFL MVP will miss Sunday's home game against the Cincinnati Bengals -- even though Jackson was held out again Thursday (so now it's really trending). Baltimore is currently a 13-point favorite on the NFL odds. Those odds would change dramatically if Jackson doesn't go. 

Assuming he plays, and it would be a huge upset if he doesn't, Jackson facing off against 2020 No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow of the Bengals will be only the fifth instance in NFL history in which the reigning league MVP and the most recent No. 1 overall pick meet as starting quarterbacks. The reigning league MVP won the first three such games but lost the last one. That was on Oct. 7, 2012, when Andrew Luck and the Colts beat Aaron Rodgers and the Packers 30-27.

The other times it happened:

• Oct. 9, 2005: Peyton Manning (Colts) vs. Alex Smith (49ers)
• Nov. 30, 1975: Ken Stabler (Raiders) vs. Steve Bartkowski (Falcons)
• Oct. 31, 1971: John Brodie (49ers) vs. Jim Plunkett (Patriots)

Jackson and Burrow will now meet twice a season going forward as AFC North rivals. Jackson is +1400 on the William Hill futures odds to repeat as MVP. He hasn't been near as dominant yet this season (hard to match what he did in historic 2019 season), although in last week's win over Washington he reached 5,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing quicker than any player in NFL history.  

Burrow, like Jackson a former Heisman winner, is the first rookie quarterback to ever have three straight 300-yard passing games and is the -110 betting favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Burrow comes off his first NFL win, knocking off Jacksonville. 

Burrow and Jackson were in the same 2015 recruiting class. Sister site 247Sports ranked Burrow as the No. 280 player overall and No. 8 dual-threat QB. Jackson was rated as the No. 409 player and No. 12 dual-threat QB.

Jackson and Burrow never faced off and in fact have yet to meet. Even though Jackson has been in the league three years and Burrow is a rookie, Jackson is 28 days younger. The top dual-threat QB recruit in that Class of 2015? Another eventual Heisman winner and current Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.

There will be another Heisman winner on the sideline in Baltimore on Sunday as well: Ravens backup QB Robert Griffin III. If Jackson did miss the game and RGIII started, that 13-point spread would drop by at least a touchdown. 

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