The Ravens are prohibitive favorites to beat the Washington Commanders in Week 6, according to the pundits.
Here’s the roundup:
Analysis: “The Commanders are 4-1 for the first time since 2008 and have re-energized their fanbase. However, the Ravens are also riding high with three straight victories and have a home-field advantage in this matchup. Jackson is playing at the highest level of his career and he has already earned two NFL MVP awards. The emergence of Daniels is a good storyline but he will face an aggressive Baltimore defense looking to bounce back from last week’s performance against Cincinnati.” Todd Karpovich
Prediction: Ravens 34, Commanders 17
Analysis: “The Ravens lead the NFL in rushing offense (211.2 ypg) and rushing defense (60.4 ypg). The Commanders have proven quite capable of pounding the rock, ranking second at 178.4 ground yards per game, but can they stop a pounding? The early returns aren’t promising, with Quinn’s defense yielding 5.1 yards per carry, the second-worst mark in the league. To be fair, some advanced statistics are more favorable to Washington’s run D, but I still don’t trust this unit to slow down the prolific pairing of Lamar and Derrick Henry.” Gennaro Filice
Prediction: Ali Bhanpuri: Ravens 28, Commanders 24; Brooke Cersosimo: Ravens 33, Commanders 28; Dan Parr: Ravens 30, Commanders 24; Filice: Ravens 27, Commanders 19; Tom Blair: Ravens 27, Commanders 25
Analysis: “This is the big game of the week, featuring a surprise Commanders team against a Ravens team that is one of the best in the league. This is a proving game for Jayden Daniels and the Commanders. Baltimore has issues on defense that show up each week. Daniels will play well and keep his team in it, but he won’t be able to outplay Lamar Jackson. Ravens will win a close one.” Peter Prisco
Prediction: Ravens 31, Commanders 29
Analysis: “This one will be a shootout, so don’t be surprised if the score is even higher. The Ravens’ secondary has given up a ton of yards and Washington has one of the league’s weakest run defenses, allowing 5.1 yards per carry to rank 31st. The Commanders’ secondary also ranks 24th in completion percentage allowed (.687). But Baltimore’s defense is also perhaps the most talented that Washington has seen so far, and safety Kyle Hamilton, inside linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive tackles Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones will make enough plays to force Washington into some mistakes.” Brian Wacker
Prediction: Ravens 27, Commanders 20
Analysis: “These are the top two scoring offenses in the NFL, so I think the best play is the over, though Baltimore struggles to really blow teams out. I can actually see Washington pulling off the upset outright, so I like their chances covering here. With Jayden Daniels under center, the offense is clicking.” Lorenzo Reyes
Prediction: Reyes: Ravens 33, Commanders 30; Tyler Dragon: Ravens 28, Commanders 23 Jordan Mendoza: Ravens 33, Commanders 31
Analysis: “The Washington Commanders are one of the surprises of the NFL season, but it would surprise us if they beat the Ravens in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson could go off in this game.” Jeremy Cluff
Prediction: Ravens 30, Commanders 23
Analysis: “This is the best Battle of the Beltway ever with Heisman-winning, dual-threat MVP candidate Jayden Daniels facing off with Heisman-winning dual-threat two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. The defenses have started to show plenty of holes, meaning the offensive fireworks of chunk runs and big pass plays will not disappoint. Jackson’s experience and help from Derrick Henry give him a slight edge over Daniels, who is still on the road despite a short local trip.” Vinnie Iyer
Prediction: Ravens 31, Commanders 27
