Pundit Picks: Ravens Are Unanimous Again. Will They Seal the Deal This Time?

Dec 13, 2024 at 09:29 AM

Kevin Eck

Writer

The Ravens are unanimously picked to beat the Giants Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

It's the third time Baltimore has been unanimously picked this season. The other two were against the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns – two games the Ravens lost.

Will the Ravens seal the deal this time?

ESPN

PUNDIT	PROJECTED WINNER	COMMENTARY
Stephania Bell
Matt Bowen
Mike Clay
Jeremy Fowler
Dan Graziano
Kalyn Kahler
Kimberly Martin
Eric Moody
Jason Reid
Lindsey Thiry
Seth Wickersham

BALTIMORE SUN

PUNDIT	PROJECTED WINNER	COMMENTARY
Childs Walker		Ravens 31, Giants 14 “The Giants simply aren’t equipped to keep up with a Ravens team that will be fresh coming off its bye and eager to wash away the sour taste from a loss to the Eagles. The Giants have a few good pass rushers, but they’re without their best defender in Lawrence, and they don’t stop the run. That’s not the formula you want against Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. On the other side of the ball, New York doesn’t have the playmakers to match touchdowns with the league’s most efficient offense.”
Brian Wacker		Ravens 30, Giants 10 “This one should be in hand by halftime. The Giants have lost eight in a row, are without star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and are starting backup quarterback Tommy DeVito. New York also has the worst offense in the NFL in terms of points per game (14.9) and a defense that, while middle of the pack, is now devoid of its best player. The only way this one is close in the second half is if the Ravens revert to the kind of self-inflicted wounds that have held them back and cost them games, which shouldn’t be a problem coming off a bye week.”
C.J. Doon		Ravens 41, Giants 3 “Lamar Jackson is antsy to get back on the field after the bye week, and the Giants are starting third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito. That’s really all you need to know. Even if New York had a fully healthy roster, this would be a lopsided affair, but the Giants are dealing with a laundry list of injuries that includes linebacker Bobby Okereke, rookie cornerback Dru Phillips and nearly the entire offensive line. Star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence would at least have been a good test for the interior of the Ravens’ offensive line, but he’s out, too.”
Tim Schwartz		Ravens 38, Giants 6 “Baltimore is fresh after its bye week and we heard how hungry Lamar Jackson is to get back on the field. It’s a recipe for a beatdown at The Meadowlands, and it would be stunning (and telling) if this game were close after three quarters.”
Bennett Conlin		Ravens 34, Giants 13 “A fired-up Lamar Jackson is a scary proposition for any defense, and the MVP candidate was none too pleased after the Philadelphia setback. Baltimore rolls before facing much stiffer competition the following two weeks.”

USA TODAY

PUNDIT	PROJECTED WINNER	COMMENTARY
Jarrett Bell		Ravens 30, Giants 13
Chris Bumbaca		Ravens 35, Giants 10
Nate Davis		Ravens 27, Giants 13
Tyler Dragon		Ravens 31, Giants 14
Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz		Ravens 31, Giants 14
Lorenzo Reyes		Ravens 29, Giants 10

NFL.com

PUNDIT	PROJECTED WINNER	COMMENTARY
Ali Bhanpuri		Ravens 31, Giants 14
Brooke Cerosimo		Ravens 41, Giants 20
Dan Parr		Ravens 33, Giants 14 “I could drop a bunch of fancy metrics to explain my prediction here, but is that really necessary? The Giants, losers of eight games in a row, average a league-low 14.9 points per game and now are asked to compete against the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens, who, despite losing two of their last three, still rank third in the league with 29.5 points per game. For those of you keeping score at home, Baltimore is scoring almost twice as many points as the Giants put up on a weekly basis. I'm also taking into account that the Ravens had a chance to get right during a long-awaited bye in Week 14. They are 13-3 under John Harbaugh coming off a regular-season bye, and Jackson is 11-0 in his career as a starter in Week 15 or later, which is the best record of any QB in Week 15 or later in the last 40 seasons.”
Gennaro Filice		Ravens 29, Giants 14
Tom Blair		Ravens 30, Giants 10

NFL NETWORK

Pundit	Projected Winner	Commentary
Adam Rank		Ravens 39, Giants 6
Colleen Wolfe		Ravens 32, Giants 26
Marcas Grant		Ravens 30, Giants 16
Maurice Jones-Drew		Ravens 31, Giants 10
Daniel Jeremiah		Ravens 34, Giants 17
Nick Shook		Ravens 33, Giants 10
Kevin Patra		Ravens 30, Giants 20
Bucky Brooks		Ravens 33, Giants 16
Grant Gordon		Ravens 40, Giants 14
Eric Edholm		Ravens 26, Giants 13

SPORTING NEWS

PUNDIT	PROJECTED WINNER	COMMENTARY
Vinnie Iyer		Ravens 34, Giants 17 “The Ravens have a terrific matchup after their bye, as a rested Derrick Henry can run all over this New York defense and Lamar Jackson will find plenty of downfield holes to exploit in the passing game. Look for Baltimore's defense to improve with some adjustments.”

CBS SPORTS

PUNDIT	PROJECTED WINNER	COMMENTARY
Pete Prisco		Ravens 34, Giants 14 “The Ravens are coming off a bye, while the Giants are playing out the string. The Giants don't do a lot on offense, which is a problem against the Ravens. Lamar Jackson and his offensive group will score a bunch here against a depleted Giants defense. Ravens big.”
Will Brinson
Jared Dubin
Ryan Wilson
John Breech		Ravens 34, Giants 20
Tyler Sullivan
Dave Richard
Jamey Eisenberg

PRO FOOTBALL TALK

PUNDIT	PROJECTED WINNER	COMMENTARY
Mike Florio		Ravens 34, Giants 13 “Quoth the Raven, ‘Gabbagool.’”
Chris Simms		Ravens 30, Giants 10 “The Ravens are in a different class. The Giants feel like they’ve given up.”