Child runner

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

Brian Wakker

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 compete the same way against the Chargers. Jackson is 19-5 as a starter in primetime games, including an 11-1 mark in his last 12, and LA’s defense has benefited from a fairly simple schedule. I also suspect Derrick Henry will get more than the thirteen carries he had last week. The biggest concern for Baltimore is obviously defense, especially with Roquan Smith (hamstring) 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 younger brother Jim.”

CJ Doon

Ravens 27, Chargers 20 “If you were to put a team together to beat the Ravens, it would look a lot like the Chargers. Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack can rush the passer and set hard edges. Poona Ford can hold its own in the middle. Kristian Fulton, Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still can play sticky coverage. Daiyan Henley, Derwin James Jr. and Elijah Molden can work in space. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry won’t have an easy time 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 if rookie Ladd McConkey does play, the Ravens have a clear advantage in offensive talent. It should be enough to win, but Baltimore needs to play a clean game to keep the offense on track and prevent the Chargers from getting extra possessions.”

Tim Schwartz

Ravens 35, Chargers 24 “The NFL’s second-highest scoring team meets the league’s stingiest defense in terms of points allowed. But before we go too much further, it’s worth noting that the Chargers have enjoyed playing terrible teams for much of this season. Their four-game winning streak includes victories over the Saints, Browns, Titans and Bengals. In their three losses, they 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, less than the Steelers and the middle of the pack in the NFL, and have 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 better 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 come up against terrible teams twice this season, 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 win 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 play against Lamar Jackson in prime time.”