Small Majority of Pundits Pick Patriots to Prevail in Baltimore
The Ravens have little margin for error as they enter the final three weeks of the season in pursuit of an unprecedented third consecutive AFC North title.
All their remaining games are against teams currently holding a playoff spot, beginning with Sunday night's matchup against the AFC East-leading New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium.
Led by second-year quarterback and MVP candidate Drake Maye, the Patriots (11-3) had won 10 straight before blowing a 21-point lead in a 35-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills this past Sunday.
The Ravens (7-7), who trail the Pittsburgh Steelers by a game, are coming off their most complete outing this season, a 24-0 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The atmosphere for a night game in Baltimore is electric and the Ravens traditionally thrive under the lights in their stadium, but they are 0-2 in prime time at home this season and 3-5 overall at home. Now they'll face a Patriots team that is 6-0 on the road.
The Ravens are a three-point favorite, but a small majority of the pundits we sampled (33 of 60) are predicting the Patriots to continue to be road warriors.
Here's what pundits are saying about the game:
The Ravens will build off last week's win.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "The Ravens have beaten only one team with a winning record all season. They've been bad at home. Before last Sunday, their defense had struggled against quality quarterbacks. [Patriots Head Coach] Mike Vrabel has won big games in Baltimore. Everything points to the Patriots, but I'm going to pick the Ravens. I think they gained a little confidence in Cincinnati, and that could carry over."
The Ravens will protect their house.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon: "Lamar Jackson is back. At least it's looked that way the last couple weeks, and now this is close to a must-win home finale against a young and inexperienced Patriots squad that is having a great season but might be shook by a Week 15 collapse at home against Buffalo. New England is 6-0 on the road this season, but the Pats barely survived in Tampa and Cincinnati, and I think they're due to finally lay a road egg against a team due for a big home win in prime time. Jackson and Derrick Henry take over this game, and the Ravens coast to a win."
USA Today’s Chris Bumbaca: "This line feels disrespectful to the Patriots but I am a sucker for taking the Ravens at home in prime time -- even if they are 0-2 in that spot this season. Third time's a charm?"
The Ravens have the weapons on offense to exploit the Patriots defense.
The Boston Globe’s Nicole Yang: "Baltimore's offense is equipped to expose two of New England's biggest defensive weaknesses. The Patriots haven't been able to contain tight ends all season and have struggled to stop the run since Milton Williams injured his ankle in Week 11. I expect productive performances from Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Derrick Henry."
The Ravens offense has struggled in the red zone, but so has the Patriots defense.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: "One of the biggest issues for QB Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' offense has been the lack of production inside the 20-yard line. Baltimore's red zone offense ranks 31st, converting touchdowns only 44% of the time. But the Ravens are facing a Patriots defense that ranks dead last in the red zone (75%)."
Expect a bounce-back game from Maye and a Patriots victory.
Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer: "The Patriots had a rough passing day against the Bills and it cost them despite some big running plays. Drake Maye needs a rebound game and the Ravens, although playing better defensively, still have key holes in secondary coverage."
ESPN’s Mina Kimes: "I'm going to take New England. I just think Drake Maye bounces back from last week. He wasn't even bad, to me. I think he bounces back, and I'm still not a believer in this Ravens offense."
The Patriots will prove to be a tougher challenge for the Ravens than the Bengals were.
The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han: "The Ravens had their get-right game against the Bengals. But the Patriots are not the Bengals. New England might not have the scariest defense, but it's still much better than Cincinnati's. And the issues with the Ravens' offense still showed last week. … Sorry if the Bengals game didn't suddenly give me confidence in this Ravens team."
The Baltimore Sun’s Sam Cohn: "Last Sunday's win looked like the Ravens might have turned a corner in a few ways: their defense played with some swagger and the offense moved the ball efficiently. It was a confident, well-rounded win with help from all three phases. But that was against the Bengals (4-10). These are the Patriots (11-3) we're talking about. And the last time the Ravens beat a [team] with a winning record was the Bears … in October. They haven't been very good at home either. I think they show up and give New England a fight but their hopes of a late-season playoff push diminish drastically late Sunday night."
| Source | Prediction | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 7 of 11 panelists pick Patriots | |
| USA Today | 4 of 6 panelists pick Ravens | |
| NFL Network | 6 of 10 panelists pick Patriots | |
| Sporting News | Patriots 27, Ravens 24 | “The Patriots had a rough passing day against the Bills and it cost them despite some big running plays. Drake Maye needs a rebound game and the Ravens, although playing better defensively, still have key holes in secondary coverage. Lamar Jackson will try to follow suit of Josh Allen, but Maye should be up to the rebound task on the road with more diversity and big-pass flair around him.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| CBS Sports | 5 of 7 panelists pick Ravens | “The Patriots are coming off a tough loss at home against the Bills and now must head out to play a Ravens team that shut out the Bengals last week. The Ravens are also more desperate in the playoff race, which matters. Lamar Jackson wins it as the Patriots drop their second straight.” — Pete Prisco |
| Sports Illustrated | 5 of 6 panelists pick Patriots | |
| Baltimore Sun | 4 of 6 panelists pick Ravens | “Baltimore’s offense showed glimpses last week, and while it’s still an inconsistent unit, an increasingly healthy Lamar Jackson should be able to pilot the offense to at least a couple of scores against the worst red zone defense in the NFL.” – Brian Wacker |
| NFL.com | 3 of 5 panelists pick Patriots | “Lamar just hasn't been Lamar since returning from injury in late October. In this matchup, New England rosters the MVP candidate in second-year sensation Drake Maye. The Patriots also boast the vastly superior defense. Baltimore has home-field advantage … but the Ravens are just 3-5 this season at M&T Bank Stadium while the Pats are a perfect 6-0 on the road. Frankly, I think the wrong team is favored.” — Gennaro Filice |
| Pro Football Talk | 2 of 2 panelists pick Patriots | “Can the Patriots bounce back from last week’s collapse?”— Mike Florio |
| Baltimore Banner | 3 of 6 panelists pick Ravens | “The Ravens are catching this rising power at the right time, with New England down its best offensive lineman (Will Campbell) and best run defender (Milton Williams). Lamar Jackson is looking more spry, and the Baltimore ground game has revved up the past two weeks. This is the week for a classic bully-ball performance.” – Childs Walker |
The Athletic's Ravens and Steelers Beat Writers Expect Week 18 Game in Pittsburgh to Be for Division Title
How the Ravens and Steelers fare this week and next will determine whether the regular-season finale between the teams in Pittsburgh is for the division title.
Zrebiec and The Athletic’s Steelers beat writer Mike DeFabo are in agreement that the Week 18 matchup will decide which team captures the crown. Only one team from the AFC North is likely to make the playoffs.
"I'm going to say the division will be on the line, not because I'm an ardent believer in these Ravens, but because the NFL is the best reality show in sports — and it would only be fitting to have a winner-take-all Week 18 matchup between longtime rivals in prime time," Zrebiec wrote. "Honestly, the AFC North race might be the only drama left in this playoff hunt, so the league better hope the Ravens-Steelers Week 18 game means something. The bet here is that both teams go 1-1 the next two weeks, setting the stage for the decisive matchup."
DeFabo wrote: "For months, I've been saying the division will be decided Week 18 in Pittsburgh. I'm not going to change my tune now. Even though the Ravens should be underdogs in their next two games, I think they'll find a way to win one to keep things interesting. The Steelers will likely lose this week in Detroit and beat the Browns [in Cleveland] to enter the final week of the season at 9-7."
The Ravens face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 17. Even if the Ravens beat the Patriots and Packers, and the Steelers lose to the Lions and Browns, the Ravens would still need to beat Pittsburgh to win the division.
Statement Game From T.J. Tampa Coming?
Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie has not practiced this week after suffering a foot injury in last Sunday's win over the Bengals, putting his availability for Sunday night's game in doubt.
If Awuzie doesn't play, second-year cornerback T.J. Tampa could see significant playing time. Ebony Bird’s Connor Burke believes it could be a breakout game for Tampa.
"He has proved worthy of reps, even in just 133 snaps in 2025," Burke wrote. "He took eight defensive snaps last week, posting a 67.3 grade, per Pro Football Focus. This year, he has an overall grade of 61.9 and a very good coverage grade of 69.8.
"Tampa has yet to have a true statement game, but has put together some encouraging performances throughout the season. If given the runway on Sunday night, he could carve out a role as a go-to rotational piece moving forward."
