The Ravens (11-3) are just hours from departing Baltimore for a much-hyped Monday night matchup against the 49ers (11-3).
Entering the Week 16 games, the Ravens own the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, holding a one-game lead over the Miami Dolphins (10-4), while San Francisco currently stands No. 1 in the NFC playoff race.
With kickoff fast approaching, we’re looking at the NFL expert picks for Monday night.
LA Times: 49ers
The LA Times picking the 49ers.
San Francisco is a cut above. They have so many weapons, and Brock Purdy gets the ball to them quickly. That should be enough to neutralize a fierce Baltimore pass rush and smothering secondary.
Prediction: 49ers 30, Ravens 23
CBS Sports--49ers
The experts at CBS Sports are picking San Francisco.
The 33rd Team--49ers
The 33rd Team is picking the 49ers at home.
We close out the Christmas slate with a potential Super Bowl preview. The Baltimore Ravens are scoring the fourth-most points per game while allowing the fewest. The San Francisco 49ers are scoring the third-most points per game while allowing the second-fewest.
Baltimore has the league’s most productive running game, and Lamar Jackson’s athleticism makes the Ravens a unique problem for opposing defenses. One of the keys to this game will be how well Baltimore’s offensive line can mitigate San Francisco’s league-best front.
The 49ers are loaded on offense, to the point that few teams have ever had a better, more complete skill group. San Francisco can beat teams in any conceivable way, while Baltimore is reliant on Jackson against premium opponents. As long as Brock Purdy continues to play with extreme efficiency as he has for most of the year, the 49ers are the toughest out in the league.
Score Prediction: 49ers 24, Ravens 16
Bleacher Report--Ravens
The experts at Bleacher Report are picking Baltimore.
USA Today--49ers
USA Today is going with San Francisco at home.
NFL.com --49ers
NFL.com is picking San Francisco.
Man, Santa delivered an absolute gem for Christmas this year! It’s the crown jewel of Week 16 and my midseason Super Bowl matchup. This game features three MVP candidates (Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey) and a pair of top-five offenses — which have scored at will for much of the season. But it’s the defenses that could most influence this outcome, as Baltimore leads the NFL in scoring D (allowing just 16.1 points per game) and sacks (50), and San Francisco is second in scoring D (16.7 ppg) and tops in takeaways (25). The major difference I see in these teams? The offensive weapons outside of the quarterback, especially with Baltimore losing Keaton Mitchell for the season. Advantage: Niners.
The MMQB--49ers
The guys at MMQB are picking San Francisco.
Miami Herald --49ers
The Miami Herald is picking San Francisco to win at home.
PFT--49ers
Mike Florio and company are picking San Francisco.
Baltimore Sun--49ers
The Baltimore Sun is picking San Francisco by a 3-2 split among voters.
