The final game of Week 16 is perhaps the best of them all as the Baltimore Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in a matchup of No. 1 seeds. In what many have dubbed as a Super Bowl preview, will it be Lamar Jackson and the Ravens or the Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey axis for the 49ers that come out on top?
In our Week 16 Ravens vs. 49ers predictions and picks, our NFL betting experts examine the current odds and betting lines to give their favorite plays of the final game of Christmas Day.
Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers Betting Lines
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- Spread
49ers -6 - Moneyline
Ravens +220, 49ers -270 - Total
46.5
Ravens vs. 49ers Predictions and Expert Picks
David Bearman: Until someone stops them, it’s hard not to like the Niners every week. They are now 10-0 with nine double-digit wins when Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel are healthy. A Ravens team off short rest and traveling cross country probably won’t change that.
Pick: 49ers -5.5
Ben Rolfe: The battle of the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences is a fitting way to close out the week and a Christmas Day tripleheader. The Ravens were not convincing on the road last week against the Jaguars, and the 49ers should have too much for them.
This should be a high-scoring game with both offenses capable of racking up points and the defenses having their moments. The straight-up pick is over 46.5, but you know I love a teaser. This one is a candidate to take the Ravens to +12 and the total down to 40.5.
Pick: Over 46.5 or Ravens +12 and total over 40.5 (6-point teaser)
Kyle Soppe: The spread in this game suggests that the Ravens will be playing from behind.
Combine that with the loss of their starting running back and a 49ers defense that easily owns the highest opponent pass rate over expectation rate in the league this season, and it’s not hard to see Lamar Jackson dropping back 40 times in this spot.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Give me an athlete like Jackson with the ball in his hands with regularity, and I’ll take my chances. All five of his rushing scores this season have come from 10 yards or closer, so while he may be slight in build, he’s still capable of picking up those tough yards near the end zone.
We get a reasonable price thanks to the opponent and the rare underdog spot for the Ravens — I’m happy to pounce!
Pick: Lamar Jackson anytime touchdown (+185 at FanDuel)
Derek Tate: The loss of Keaton Mitchell may have a negative impact on the Ravens’ offense as a whole. However, a strong case can be made that it could lead to more work for Gus Edwards for the remainder of the 2023 season.
If you recall, J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending injury in the season opener against the Houston Texans, which immediately thrust Edwards into an expanded role. From Weeks 2-8, he averaged 14 carries for 56 yards per game.
However, once Mitchell got into the mix from Weeks 9-14, Edwards’ average per game dropped significantly to eight carries for 36 yards. Last week, after Mitchell’s injury, Edwards clearly became the lead man in this backfield with 16 carries for 58 yards and a score.
San Francisco’s defense does present a formidable challenge, but expect Edwards to see north of 10 carries with the backfield starting to thin out.
Pick: Gus Edwards Over 39.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at DraftKings)
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