ESPN
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Stephania Bell |
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| Matt Bowen |
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| Mike Clay |
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| Jeremy Fowler |
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| Dan Graziano |
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| Kalyn Kahler |
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| Kimberly A. Martin |
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| Eric Moody |
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| Jason Reid |
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| Lindsey Thiry |
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| Seth Wickersham |
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BALTIMORE SUN
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Childs Walker |
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Ravens 30, Bengals 24 “As long as the Bengals have Joe Burrow throwing to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, they’ll be a threat. They’re better than their 0-3 start, especially on offense. The Ravens don’t want to spot Cincinnati a lead and have the game turn into a throwing contest. The good news for the Ravens is they have the right playmakers to punish a Cincinnati defense that has lost a lot of talent over the last few years. Led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, they’ll try to follow the same script that worked against the Cowboys and Bills. The Bengals won’t be the team to stop them.” |
| Brian Wacker |
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Ravens 27, Bengals 20 “Baltimore has rediscovered its identity by turning back the clock and leaning on its running attack. Don’t be surprised if they do the same against the Bengals, who are 25th in rushing yards allowed per game (145.5) and 18th in yards per carry allowed (4.4). Cincinnati is also 27th in points allowed per game (26). But with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, they also have enough firepower to put up points on the Ravens. Running back Zack Moss also tormented Baltimore’s defense when he was with the Colts last season. But it won’t be enough to keep up with a Ravens team that is hitting its stride offensively.” |
| C.J. Doon |
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Ravens 31, Bengals 20 “The Bengals’ offense sure looks scary when Ja’Marr Chase is playing at full speed, but their defense might be one of the worst in the league, especially against the run. Here comes Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, who bulldozed the Bills last week to push Baltimore’s league-best average to a staggering 220.3 rushing yards per game. Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken should lean on that punishing ground game to sustain long drives and keep Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense off the field. If the Ravens stick to that script, this should be a comfortable division win on the road, a rarity in the AFC North. Don’t rule out another head-scratching Baltimore turnover or a defensive mistake making it closer than it should be, though.” |
| Tim Schwartz |
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Ravens 28, Bengals 21 “Baltimore should have no problem moving the ball in Cincinnati. Slowing down Joe Burrow, who looked much better in Week 3 (albeit against the lowly Panthers), is a taller task. Ja’Marr Chase looks as explosive as ever, and Tee Higgins should look better as he puts a hamstring injury behind him. We’ve seen the Bengals’ offense put up some big numbers against Baltimore, but consider me a believer in the Ravens’ defense being able to match up well against those star wide receivers this time.” |
| Bennett Conlin |
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Ravens 35, Bengals 24 “The Bengals have struggled defensively this season, but they’ve also faced high-powered offenses led by star quarterbacks (Patrick Mahomes and Jayden Daniels) in two of their three losses. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, Lamar Jackson doesn’t offer a reprieve. It’s hard to see how a defense ranking last in the NFL in pass rush grade and ninth-worst in tackling (Pro Football Focus) will stop Jackson and a Ravens offense seemingly hitting its stride. Look for Baltimore to find success in both the running and passing game Sunday against Cincinnati. The Bengals will need to keep up on the scoreboard, but I’m not sure they can.” |
USA TODAY
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrett Bell |
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Ravens 27, Bengals 24 |
| Chris Bumbaca |
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Bengals 27, Ravens 24 |
| Nate Davis |
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Ravens 33, Bengals 23 |
| Tyler Dragon |
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Ravens 28, Bengals 27 |
| Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz |
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Ravens 27, Bengals 19 |
| Lorenzo Reyes |
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Ravens 26, Bengals 19 |
NFL.com
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Ali Bhanpuri |
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Ravens 27, Bengals 23 |
| Brooke Cerosimo |
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Bengals 27, Ravens 24 |
| Dan Parr |
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Ravens 28, Bengals 24 “Joe Burrow knows the deal. On Wednesday, he said ‘I’m gonna have to play damn-near perfect’ against the Ravens. Here's the thing: He could manifest that almost-flawless game, and it still might not be enough for Cincinnati to avoid falling to 1-4 for the first time in the Burrow era. The gap between Baltimore's offense and the Bengals' defense is that big, especially in the ground game. Only one team has allowed more rushing yards over expectation than DC Lou Anarumo's crew. Just two teams have allowed more rushing yards after contact. That seems likely to spell disaster when you are trying to match up with a rushing attack that has dominated the league since Lamar Jackson became the QB1.” |
| Gennaro Filice |
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Bengals 35, Ravens 31 |
| Tom Blair |
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Ravens 27, Bengals 23 |
NFL NETWORK
| Pundit | Projected Winner | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Rank |
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Bengals 29, Ravens 27 |
| Colleen Wolfe |
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Ravens 28, Bengals 21 |
| Marcas Grant |
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Ravens 28, Bengals 26 |
| Maurice Jones-Drew |
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Ravens 34, Bengals 26 |
| Daniel Jeremiah |
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Bengals 24, Ravens 21 |
| Nick Shook |
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Ravens 33, Bengals 24 |
| Kevin Patra |
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Ravens 30, Bengals 26 |
| Bucky Brooks |
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Bengals 30, Ravens 27 |
| Grant Gordon |
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Ravens 34, Bengals 24 |
| Eric Edholm |
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Ravens 28, Bengals 27 |
SPORTING NEWS
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Vinnie Iyer |
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Bengals 27, Ravens 24 “The Ravens should be licking their chops with Derrick Henry to keep going nuts against the Bengals' No. 25 run defense. There's also a chance to bury their AFC North rivals early in the division race. But Joe Burrow got Cincinnati off the mat last week, and with his full cadre of receivers, he can find some good matchups to exploit in the passing game. The division race is meant to be long with emotional twists and turns, and this is the first one.” |
CBS SPORTS
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Prisco |
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Bengals 34, Ravens 31 “This is an enormous game for the Bengals. They can get right back in the division race with a victory here. Their offense has come alive with Tee Higgins back. The Ravens give up a lot of big pass plays, so that will factor here. The Bengals defense has issues, so look for a lot of points. In the end, I think Joe Burrow wins it.” |
| Will Brinson |
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| Jared Dubin |
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| Ryan Wilson |
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| John Breech |
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Bengals 27, Ravens 24 “So we have a defense that can't stop the run going up against the best rushing attack. And on the other side, we have a defense that can't stop the pass going up against one of the best passing attacks. The Bengals are going to be desperate and they're going to be at home where Burrow is 3-1 against the Ravens since the start of the 2021 season (Including the playoffs).” |
| Tyler Sullivan |
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| Dave Richard |
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| Jamey Eisenberg |
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PRO FOOTBALL TALK
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Florio |
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Ravens 31, Bengals 27 “Can the Bengals’ defense slow down Baltimore’s offense? (Probably not.)” |
| Chris Simms |
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Ravens 34, Bengals 28 “Ultimately, the Ravens are a little bit better of a football team, and what they’ve got going on the offensive side of the ball is going to put defenses in a bind as long as they stay serious with that run game.” |
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Albert Breer |
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| Mitch Goldich |
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| Gilberto Manzano |
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| Connor Orr |
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| John Pluym |
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| Matt Verderame |
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