Ravens Insider: Ravens vs. Eagles staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Baltimore?

[ExtremeRavens]

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 13 game between the Ravens (8-4) and Eagles (9-2) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore:

Brian Wacker, reporter

Eagles 24, Ravens 21: Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman and the combination of DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. There is talent all over the field for these two offenses. The separator, of course, will be on defense. Baltimore’s continues to give up yards by the chunk. Philadelphia is No. 1 in the league in yards allowed per game (274.6) and No. 2 in yards per play (4.7). The Eagles are also balanced against the run and pass, allowing just 99.2 rushing yards and 175.5 passing yards per game. A slow start and self-inflicted wounds will be costly against a team of the Eagles’ ilk.

Childs Walker, reporter

Ravens 27, Eagles 21: Talk about brutal fun on the first day of December. This matchup will pit the league’s two best ground games against two of its best run defenses. Will Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley go off? These superstar running backs might command the narrative focus, but that doesn’t mean they’ll decide the game. Lamar Jackson’s quest to solve Vic Fangio’s balanced, deceptive defense will determine the flow, and the Ravens’ beleaguered but improving secondary will have to keep Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown from connecting on explosive plays. Jackson has outplayed Hurts this season, and the Ravens have beaten better opponents than the Eagles. They’ll pull out another quality win going into their bye week.

Mike Preston, columnist

Eagles 24, Ravens 20: The Ravens’ defense has made progress in recent weeks, but not enough to slow down the Eagles. Chargers running back and former Raven J.K. Dobbins had 40 yards on six carries a week ago before a knee injury sidelined him for the second half. Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley will probably do more damage. The Ravens might keep it close, but the Jalen Hurts to A.J. Brown combination might be too powerful.

C.J. Doon, editor

Eagles 26, Ravens 23: The Ravens’ defense has held up extremely well against this run this season, but it hasn’t faced a running back as good as Saquon Barkley nor an offensive line as strong as the Eagles’. This is not a good week for Baltimore to be dealing with injuries along the defensive front, either. It’s going to be difficult for the Ravens to keep Barkley contained, and even if they do, Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith can punish them down the field. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry rival Hurts and Barkley as the league’s top backfield pairing, but the Eagles’ defense, led by Jalen Carter, is a much stiffer test than the Ravens’. Hurts joins Daniel Jones as the only NFC quarterbacks to beat Jackson.

Tim Schwartz, editor

Eagles 27, Ravens 24: The Eagles are red-hot, winners of seven straight and have improved seemingly every week. Their defense has been borderline dominant while Saquon Barkley has leaped into the NFL Most Valuable Player conversation with a franchise-record performance. But the Ravens’ defense has been consistently good at one thing this season: stopping the run. On the other side of the ball, Baltimore’s top-ranked offense (426.7 yards per game) will face another stiff test against Philadelphia’s top-ranked defense (274.6 yards per game). The Ravens had no problems Monday night against the Chargers’ defense, which entered the game allowing the fewest points per game, but I suspect the Eagles’ defensive backs will put up a much better fight against the Ravens’ receivers. If Derrick Henry gets going early against Philadelphia’s stout front seven, the Ravens have a good chance, but I am taking the Eagles against this inconsistent Baltimore squad.

Bennett Conlin, editor

Ravens 24, Eagles 17: Nick Sirianni’s Eagles team has been impressive throughout this season, winning seven consecutive games entering Sunday’s clash. Still, the Eagles haven’t faced a team of Baltimore’s caliber (second in DVOA) this season. The Ravens have won four home games in a row, including a 25-point blowout of the 9-2 Bills. Lamar Jackson owns the NFC, and I’m expecting more of the same Sunday as Baltimore reaffirms its spot as an AFC championship contender despite currently sitting in second in its division.

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13.

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