‘Hard to pick against Lamar Jackson in Prime Time’

Childs Walker

Ravens 31, Chargers 24 “The Chargers are a balanced team capable of winning ugly. The Steelers used that exact formula to beat the Ravens. Unlike Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson, Justin Herbert will attack the middle of the field where the Baltimore defense is weakest. That said, Los Angeles has built its winning record and impressive defensive stats against opponents that can’t touch the Ravens’ firepower. Cincinnati scored in droves against the Chargers, and it was without a significant running attack. If the Ravens get ahead early, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will control this one.”

Brian Wacker

Ravens 30, Chargers 20 “As bad as Lamar Jackson was last week in an ugly 18-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s unlikely to struggle the same way against the Chargers. Jackson is 19-5 as a starter in prime-time games, including an 11-1 mark in his past 12, and LA’s defense has benefited from a relatively easy schedule. I also suspect Derrick Henry will get more than the 13 he had last week. The biggest concern for Baltimore, of course, is its defense, especially if Roquan Smith (hamstring) is out. That could set up a big day for former Ravens running back JK Dobbins and tight end Will Dissly, who had four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Still, Baltimore’s offense hasn’t had two bad games in a row, and I don’t expect that to change here as coach John Harbaugh improves his record to 3-0 against little brother Jim.”

CJ Doon

Ravens 27, Chargers 20 “If you built a team to beat the Ravens, it would look a lot like the Chargers. Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack can rush the passer and set tough edges. Poona Ford can hold his own in the middle. Kristian Fulton, Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still can play stick coverage, Derwin James Jr. can tackle in space, and Derrick Henry won’t have it easy against Jesse Minter’s defense on the other side of the ball, LA has one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Justin Herbert, who has taken a big step forward this season by playing much more aggressively.He’s capable of torching the Ravens’ secondary…if he had a better group of receivers. Even with rookie Ladd McConkey playing, the Ravens have the edge in offensive talent. That should be enough to win, but Baltimore needs to play a clean game to keep its offense on schedule and avoid give the Chargers extra possessions.”

Tim Schwartz

Ravens 35, Chargers 24 “The NFL’s second-highest scoring team faces the league’s stingiest defense in points allowed. But before we go too far, it’s worth noting that the Chargers have feasted on terrible teams for much of this season. Their four-game winning streak features victories over the Saints, Browns, Titans and Bengals. In their three losses, they have scored 10 points in two and 15 in the other. For all the talk about the Chargers’ offense, Justin Herbert and coordinator Greg Roman, they are averaging just 22 points per game. game, fewer than the Steelers and in the middle of the pack in the NFL, and has scored more than 30 points just once – last weekend against the Bengals. It will take more than 30 points to beat the Ravens on Monday night, and no one is more familiar with the Chargers’ scheme and personnel than John Harbaugh. They don’t call them the LA Ravens for nothing.”

Bennett Conlin

Ravens 31, Chargers 24 “The Ravens have stumbled twice this season against terrible teams, losing to the Browns and Raiders. The Chargers have done the opposite in their march to a 7-3 record, going 6-0 against opponents with losing records. While Los Angeles thrives on beating bad teams, the Ravens dominated the Bills and Broncos and controlled their victory over the Commanders. Even in close losses to the Chiefs and Steelers, John Harbaugh’s team showed it is more capable of beating playoff-caliber opponents than Jim Harbaugh’s group. It’s hard to pick against Lamar Jackson in prime time.”