Large Majority of Pundits Predict Ravens to Beat Bengals
Five weeks after the Ravens' thrilling 41-38 overtime win over the Bengals in Cincinnati, the AFC North rivals meet again on "Thursday Night Football" at M&T Bank Stadium.
It's a pivotal game for both teams. Baltimore (6-3) looks to stay on the heels – or possibly overtake – the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2), while Cincinnati (4-5) hopes to get to .500 for the first time this season and strengthen its playoff chances.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals' playoff odds would rise to 54% with a win and drop to 24% with a loss. The Bengals see it as a “must-win” game.
A large majority of the pundits who got their picks in by Thursday morning (32 of 36) believe the Ravens will complete a sweep of the Bengals. The consensus is that it will be another high-scoring affair.
Here's what pundits are saying about the game:
The Ravens should be able to slow down the Bengals offense if WR Tee Higgins is out.
The Baltimore Banner's Kyle Goon: "It spoke volumes to me this week that Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton talked about accountability for the defense's struggles of late, which have left first-year Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr under a microscope. Looking back on the Ravens' narrow victory over Cincinnati, a lot of the errors were coverage mismatches that featured dazzling catches by Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. With Higgins' status in doubt this week, the Ravens should be able to focus more on Chase and limit Joe Burrow's big-play ability. They can learn from the coverages they messed up last time."
Baltimore Positive’s Luke Jones: "The likely absence of Higgins is a major factor in this one as this defense can focus more on slowing down Ja'Marr Chase, who shredded the Ravens in the first meeting. The Baltimore pass defense has been closer to average than bad at home, and that will show up on Thursday night."
Lamar Jackson could have another big game throwing the ball.
The Baltimore Sun: "How aggressive will Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo be after Jackson carved up his pressure looks in the previous meeting? The Bengals secondary, with Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner II at the corners and former Raven Geno Stone on the back end, is ripe for attack. Cincinnati ranks 26th in third-down defense and 27th in preventing touchdowns in the red zone."
Jackson and an improved defense give the Ravens the edge.
The Athletic's Viv Tafur: "Jackson is playing at an absurd level. He has the sixth-highest passer rating through Week 9 in the past 25 seasons with a 120.7 mark. The Bengals stacked the box against Derrick Henry last month and Jackson still lit them up for 41 points. Take the defense that seems to have improved since then."
RB Derrick Henry is an X-factor.
The Baltimore Sun’s Tim Schwartz: "We know Lamar Jackson will make plays in the passing game, but the key for me is Derrick Henry. If the Ravens can get him going early and play a balanced game, control some clock and prevent Burrow and company from dominating the time of possession, I like their chances at improving to 7-3 and all but ending Cincinnati's hopes of winning the AFC North."
The Ravens win in another shootout.
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco: "Both offenses can score, while both defenses have struggled. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson will put on an offensive show here, with the Ravens pulling out a close one late."
Expect another close game, but with the Bengals prevailing this time.
CBS Sports’ John Breech: "The last time around, I picked the Bengals and not much has changed about how I feel about the matchup that we're going to see. The Ravens still can't stop the pass (They're given up 280.5 yards per game, which ranks dead last in the NFL) and the Bengals defense still struggles to stop any team that's even remotely talented on the offensive side of the ball (They've played four teams this year that are currently above .500 and those four teams averaged 35.5 points per game against the Bengals). I see another shootout coming, but this time around, the Bengals aren't going to blow their fourth-quarter lead."
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec: "I've gone back and forth on this Ravens-Bengals result about five times. The Ravens play very well at home and in prime time, and it's tough for road teams to win on Thursday nights. Yet, the Bengals are the more desperate team and were the better team for much of the first matchup. However, they also have some key players banged up. Then again, Jackson is banged up, too. I'll go with a close Bengals victory based on them finding a way to close a tight game in a way they didn't do in the first meeting."
New Ravens WR Diontae Johnson could be a key contributor.
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm: "Johnson did sting the Bengals back in Week 4 with the Panthers, catching seven passes for 83 yards and a TD. He did most of his work against Cam Taylor-Britt; Johnson had less success when the Bengals' D.J. Turner covered him. With [tight end Isaiah] Likely out for Thursday due to a hamstring injury, Johnson could see a larger role.
| Source | Prediction | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 8 of 9 panelists pick Ravens | |
| Baltimore Sun | 3 of 3 panelists pick Ravens | “The Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase connection is good enough to keep the Bengals in it, but Baltimore simply has too much firepower and should handle business at home.”— C.J. Doon |
| Baltimore Banner | 5 of 5 panelists pick Ravens | “Joe Burrow carved up the Ravens’ secondary in their Week 5 meeting, but prime-time crowds at M&T Bank Stadium usually complicate things for offenses before the snap. And, if the Broncos’ well-regarded defense couldn’t stop Lamar Jackson and the Ravens last week, it’s hard to see Cincinnati faring much better.” — Jonas Shaffer |
| NFL Network | 8 of 10 panelists pick Ravens | |
| Sporting News | Ravens 27, Bengals 24 | “The Bengals are humming along with their passing game with Joe Burrow playing at an MVP level despite their 4-5 start. Lamar Jackson is performing like he wants to repeat as MVP, however, and both of these teams have enough defensive issues to think both QBs will have big games. It comes down to more diverse weapons and the better power running game, and that late-game advantage goes to Baltimore at home in prime time.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| CBS Sports | 1 of 2 panelists pick Ravens | “If the Bengals are to really be considered a playoff contender, they have to win this one. Both offenses can score, while both defenses have struggled. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson will put on an offensive show here, with the Ravens pulling out a close one late.” — Pete Prisco |
| Sports Illustrated | 6 of 6 panelists pick Ravens |
Ravens Are NFL.com Analysts' Consensus Pick to Win AFC North
Although the Ravens trail the Steelers by a half-game in the AFC North, they were a near-unanimous pick to win the division in a survey of NFL.com’s analysts at the season's midpoint.
Baltimore received 25 of the panel's 27 votes. Pittsburgh got the other two.
"The preseason favorite is now the midseason favorite despite entering the halfway point in second place," NFL.com wrote. "Although a (near) unanimous selection to win the division, Baltimore's back-to-back bid is anything but a sure thing. The Ravens have an unforgiving second-half schedule (their next four opponents are a combined 21-8) and sit at 3-3 in the conference and 0-1 in the division.
"But as challenging as their road appears, Pittsburgh's looks that much worse. The Steelers (6-2) have the third most difficult schedule remaining in the NFL (.570), with all six of their division games still to go, and trips to Washington and Philadelphia on the calendar, as well. They also will host the Chiefs on Christmas -- just four days after their second meeting with Baltimore."
Jackson, Henry Continue to Accumulate Midseason Accolades
ESPN's Bill Barnwell handed out his midseason awards, and he chose Jackson as MVP and Henry as Offensive Player of the Year.
"There's understandably voter fatigue with former MVPs, especially when they've won the award the prior season," Barnwell wrote. "The new thing is always fun. [Commanders quarterback Jayden] Daniels having a realistic case to be the first rookie since Jim Brown to win league MVP is an incredibly compelling story. If the cases are close, I'd imagine voters will lean toward somebody new. The case isn't close, though. Jackson is playing significantly better than he did a year ago, when he was one vote away from being the unanimous MVP. He has been the best passer in football and added a top-20 rushing season as a side quest. I don't think it's possible to overstate how impressive he has been. It's not hyperbole to say he's playing quarterback as well as anybody in league history."
Regarding Henry, Barnwell wrote: "The now 30-year-old back is producing a historically significant campaign. … If Henry can keep this up, it will be one of the greatest running back seasons we've ever seen. I'm not sure he'll produce as many long runs in the second half, but who would have thought a guy who was splitting time with Tyjae Spears last season would be blowing away the competition in 2024? Another Offensive Player of the Year award would put Henry into rarefied company; every player who has won at least two OPOY awards is either already in the Hall of Fame or is a lock to make it once he's eligible."
Jackson and Henry also made Prisco’s Midseason All-Pro team, as did Humphrey. Center Tyler Linderbaum was named a runner-up.
