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Ravens 31, Chargers 24 “The Chargers are a balanced team that can win ugly. The Steelers just used this 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. However, Los Angeles has built on its winning record and impressive defensive stats against opponents that are no match for the Ravens’ firepower. Cincinnati scored in large numbers against the Chargers, and did so without a significant running attack. If the Ravens take an early lead, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will control this game.”

Brian Wacker

Ravens 30, Chargers 20 “As bad as Lamar Jackson was in an ugly 18-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, it’s unlikely he’ll struggle the same against the Chargers. Jackson has a 19-5 record in prime-time games as a starter, including an 11-1 mark in his last 12 games, and LA’s defense has benefited from a relatively easy schedule. I also suspect that Derrick Henry will get more than the 13 carries he had last week. Of course, the biggest concern for Baltimore is its defense, especially with Roquan Smith (hamstring) out. This could be 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 against younger brother Jim to 3-0.”

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 her own in the middle. Kristian Fulton, Cam Hart and Tarheeb can still play sticky coverage. Daiyan Henley, Derwin James Jr. and Elijah Molden can attack in space. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry won’t have an easy time against Jesse Minter’s defense. On the other hand, LA has one of the best quarterbacks in the league 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 with rookie Ladd McConkey playing, the Ravens clearly have the edge when it comes to offensive talent. It should be enough to win, but Baltimore needs to play a clean game to keep its offense on schedule and not give the Chargers additional possessions.”

Tim Schwartz

Ravens 35, Chargers 24 “The NFL’s second-highest scoring team faces 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 faced terrible teams for most of this season. Their four-game winning streak includes victories over the Saints, Browns, Titans and Bengals. In their three losses, they have scored 10 points in two cases and 15 points in the other. For all the talk about the Chargers’ offense, Justin Herbert and coordinator Greg Roman are averaging just 22 points per game, fewer than the Steelers and in the middle of the NFL, and have scored more than 30 points only once – last weekend against the Bengals. It will take more than 30 points to beat the Ravens on Monday night, and no one is more 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 stumbled twice this season against terrible teams, losing to the Browns and Raiders. The Chargers have done the opposite on their way to a 7-3 record, going 6-0 against opponents with a losing record. While Los Angeles thrives on beating bad teams, the Ravens dominated the Bills and Broncos and controlled their victory over the Commanders. Even in narrow losses to the Chiefs and Steelers, John Harbaugh’s team showed that it was more capable of beating playoff-caliber opponents than Jim Harbaugh’s group. It’s hard to beat Lamar Jackson in prime time.”