ESPN
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Bowen |
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| Mike Clay |
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| Jeremy Fowler |
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| Dan Graziano |
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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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BALTIMORE SUN
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Childs Walker |
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49ers 31, Ravens 26 “The Ravens have the running game and speedy defensive playmakers to keep the 49ers from running away with it. They will need to keep Lamar Jackson from being swarmed and score touchdowns when they reach the red zone. San Francisco is the best team in the league and simply has more room for error given its quartet of All-Pro skill players.” |
| Brian Wacker |
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49ers 27, Ravens 14 “The 49ers are the most complete team in the NFL and the Ravens haven’t faced anyone close to their level this season. Baltimore’s offensive line has also been shaky with tackles Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses dealing with injuries, which is not great when facing a team that has averaged four sacks a game the past seven weeks and makes life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. And even if the Ravens can contain the 49ers’ dynamic offense of quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle, scoring against San Francisco, which allows the second-fewest points per game in the NFL, will be difficult. Lamar Jackon has performed at an MVP level, but the offense is simply less dynamic without tight end Mark Andrews and running back Keaton Mitchell and thus a bit more predictable.” |
| C.J. Doon |
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Ravens 27, 49ers 24 “The 49ers are the class of the league right now, but they are not unbeatable. A three-game losing streak against Cleveland, Minnesota and Cincinnati in October proves that. Brock Purdy has been playing like an MVP candidate since that stretch, though he hasn’t faced a defense anywhere near the Ravens’ level. I’m betting on Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald to force Purdy into some mistakes and the run defense to slow down Christian McCaffrey just enough for Baltimore to hold on behind another heart-stopping performance from Lamar Jackson. Justin Tucker wins it with a late field goal, just like he did the last time these teams met in 2019.” |
| Tim Schwartz |
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Ravens 31, 49ers 28 “What a treat this game is shaping up to be. The Ravens, largely healthy (minus the devastating Keaton Mitchell injury), are heading to the West Coast to take on the other best team in football in a meeting between the top two MVP candidates in prime time on Christmas night. The 49ers have put their three-game losing skid behind them thanks to the play of quarterback Brock Purdy, who has thrown 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions during San Francisco’s six-game winning streak. The former Mr. Irrelevant is now 16-3 as a starter in the regular season. But the Ravens have consistently played up or down to their opponent the past few years with Lamar Jackson under center, and I believe special teams will have a say in who wins this game. Only one team has Justin Tucker. This game is the ultimate toss-up. Just enjoy the show.” |
USA TODAY
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrett Bell |
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49ers 27, Ravens 24 |
| Chris Bumbaca |
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49ers 25, Ravens 21 |
| Nate Davis |
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49ers 27, Ravens 23 |
| Safid Deen |
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49ers 30, Ravens 17 |
| Tyler Dragon |
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49ers 24, Ravens 23 |
| Victoria Hernandez |
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49ers 27, Ravens 24 |
| Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz |
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49ers 24, Ravens 21 |
| Lorenzo Reyes |
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49ers 28, Ravens 20 |
NFL.com
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Ali Bhanpuri |
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Ravens 24, 49ers 23 |
| Brooke Cerosimo |
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49ers 30, Ravens 24 “Man, Santa delivered an absolute gem for Christmas this year! It’s the crown jewel of Week 16 and my midseason Super Bowl matchup. This game features three MVP candidates (Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey) and a pair of top-five offenses — which have scored at will for much of the season. But it’s the defenses that could most influence this outcome, as Baltimore leads the NFL in scoring D (allowing just 16.1 points per game) and sacks (50), and San Francisco is second in scoring D (16.7 ppg) and tops in takeaways (25). The major difference I see in these teams? The offensive weapons outside of the quarterback, especially with Baltimore losing Keaton Mitchell for the season. Advantage: Niners.” |
| Dan Parr |
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49ers 27, Ravens 23 |
| Gennaro Filice |
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49ers 27, Ravens 20 |
| Tom Blair |
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49ers 28, Ravens 24 |
NFL NETWORK
| Pundit | Projected Winner | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Rank |
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Ravens 23, 49ers 20 |
| Colleen Wolfe |
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Ravens 20, 49ers 17 |
| Marcas Grant |
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49ers 30, Ravens 24 |
| Maurice Jones-Drew |
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49ers 21, Ravens 20 |
| Daniel Jeremiah |
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49ers 28, Ravens 27 |
| Nick Shook |
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49ers 28, Ravens 20 |
| Marc Sessler |
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Ravens 27, 49ers 26 |
| Kevin Patra |
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49ers 30, Ravens 27 |
| Grant Gordon |
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49ers 34, Ravens 31 |
| Eric Edholm |
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49ers 27, Ravens 21 |
SPORTING NEWS
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Vinnie Iyer |
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49ers 24, Ravens 20 “The Ravens weren’t caught looking ahead to this battle of potential top playoff seeds in a possible Super Bowl ‘prematch.’ Both teams rolled out their usual respective conference dominance in Week 15 and it’s impossible to find two hotter teams in the NFL. San Francisco’s offensive versatility and explosiveness are better than Baltimore’s. Brock Purdy stays sharp vs. a tough pass defense with plenty of help, while Lamar Jackson’s playmaking is contained enough in crunch time.” |
CBS SPORTS
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Prisco |
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49ers 29, Ravens 21 “This is the game of the week, maybe the year. These are the two best teams in either conference. The 49ers get a break getting the Ravens playing consecutive road games. The 49ers offense is the best unit of all four in this game, which is why I think they win this one. Brock Purdy wins the MVP battle with Lamar Jackson.” |
| Will Brinson |
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| Jared Dubin |
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| Ryan Wilson |
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| John Breech |
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49ers 27, Ravens 24 |
| 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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49ers 31, Ravens 20 “As long as their key players are healthy, the 49ers are gonna kick the s— out of everybody they face. The quest is for second place. … The 49ers kick the s— out of the Ravens on Monday night. I’m sorry. I know that’s disrespectful to the Ravens, but let’s be realistic. They’ve gotta fly across the country, on Christmas night, and the 49ers are waiting. And the 49ers are going to dismantle the Ravens. If it’s a Super Bowl preview, the Super Bowl is gonna suck.” |
| Chris Simms |
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49ers 31, Ravens 21 “As much respect as I have for the Ravens offense and what they can do, they haven’t faced a unit like this 49ers defense.” |
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
| PUNDIT | PROJECTED WINNER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|
| Albert Breer |
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| Mitch Goldich |
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| Claire Kuwana |
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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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