Many pundits predict the Ravens will roll into Kansas City and emerge with a victory over the Super Bowl champions Chiefs in Week 1.
Here’s the roundup”
Analysis: The Chiefs have the home-field advantage and will send the sellout crowd into a frenzy when they unveil their latest Super Bowl banner. If the Ravens can absorb an early push from Kansas City, they have the talent to leave with a win. Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson should be rested and ready to roll, and they want to show the rest of the nation that they are the main threat to Kansas City. The Chiefs are still riding high from the last championship and the Ravens are determined to make up for a missed opportunity at home. The Ravens’ motivation will be the difference in this game.
Prediction: Ravens 31, Chiefs 26
Analysis: Normal rules of quality go out the window with a Thursday night opener. Just look at last season, when the Chiefs dragged their feet through a home loss to the Detroit Lions. The Ravens will be hyped to face their nemesis and seem unlikely to keep their Henry-powered running game in the holster this time around. Mahomes, meanwhile, will start without a full set of targets. The Ravens will pull the upset in a battle that won’t tell us much about what might happen if these teams meet again in January.
Prediction: Ravens 26, Chiefs 24
Analysis: Three out of four analysts picked the Ravens to win the game. Lorenzi Reyes wrote: “Baltimore suffered some offseason losses on defense, but after a disappointing exit from the playoffs — at the hands of Kansas City — I’m expecting the Ravens to learn from their mistakes and trust the rushing game. Plus, with the commotion of the kickoff game and commemorating their consecutive Super Bowl titles, the Chiefs may start a little slow.”
Prediction: Reyes: Ravens 23, Chiefs 17; Tyler Dragon: Chiefs 24, Ravens 23; Safid Deen: Ravens 26, Chiefs 23; Richard Morin: Ravens 23, Chiefs 21
Analysis: Baltimore didn’t boast this depth and health in the secondary during last year’s AFC championship. For Thursday, they have almost overwhelming depth and talent to force Patrick Mahomes to throw underneath.
Prediction: Ravens 20, Chiefs 17
Analysis: This rematch of the AFC Championship Game will feature two of the best in the NFL. Lamar Jackson is playing behind a rebuilt offensive line, which could be a problem early in the season against a team that loves to blitz. The Chiefs will be better this year on offense than a year ago, which will show up here. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs defense both get off to good starts. Chiefs take it.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Ravens 18
