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Week 12 of the NFL season closes with a gift to all football fans, perhaps the best Monday Night Football matchup of this season, when the Baltimore Ravens travel to take on the Los Angeles Chargers.
This matchup is better than it looked when it was scheduled. The Chargers’ rebuild is so far ahead of schedule that they actually come in with a better record, at 7-3, than the 7-4 Ravens. They are also on a four-game winning streak.
Since an 0-2 start, the Ravens have mostly looked like the Super Bowl contenders they were supposed to be, though they are coming off a two-point loss to the Steelers.
They are still getting the respect of a contender, as they are 3-point road favorites.
The NFL Week 12 Monday Night Football game pits the Baltimore Ravens against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
The Ravens at Chargers game will be televised nationally on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
The Ravens at Chargers game is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. MT/7:15 p.m. CT.
Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (analyst) will call the game from the booth at SoFi Stadium, while Melissa Stark will be on the sidelines.
The Ravens are a 3-point road favorite over the Chargers in NFL Week 12 odds for the game, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. The Ravens are -155 on the moneyline, while the Chargers are +130. The over/under is set at 51 points.
Ravens star middle linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) missed practice on Thursday. The NFL co-leader in tackles (110) was hurt against the Steelers.
Receiver Nelson Agholor (illness), cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf), safety Sanoussi Kane (ankle) and defensive lineman Travis Jones (ankle) also missed practice for Baltimore.
Chargers rookie receiver Ladd McConkey (shoulder) sat out practice Thursday. He was injured against the Bengals.
Middle linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin), cornerback Cam Hart (concussion/ankle) and safety AJ Finley (ankle) also sat out practice.
The El Paso Times: Ravens 35, Chargers 34
Bret Bloomquist writes: “The Chargers have been impressive overachievers while Baltimore has tilted the other direction, but the Raves tend to sort things out when they really need to.”
Matt Johnson writes: “The Harbaugh Game on Monday Night Football. For the Baltimore Ravens, this is a must-win spot after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers and picking up their fourth loss of the season. As for the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday Night Football showed some issues against both the run and through the air. Lamar Jackson struggles against Pittsburgh, but he’s been an MVP-caliber quarterback against every other foe. On the national stage, Jackson and Derrick Henry carry Baltimore to a win.”
Sports Betting Dime: Chargers 22.6, Ravens 20.9
The site’s formula predicts that the Chargers will win the NFL Week 12 game against the Ravens.
ESPN: Ravens have a 61.2% chance to beat Chargers on Monday Night Football
The site gives the Chargers a 38.5% shot at winning the NFL Week 12 game, with 0.3% change of a tie.
Dimers: Ravens 24, Chargers 22
It writes: “After extensive simulations, our model gives the Ravens a win probability of 60%, while the Chargers have a win probability of 40%.”
Bookies.com: Bet the Ravens to cover vs Chargers
Bill Speros writes: “The Ravens still can’t beat the Steelers. Sunday, Baltimore failed on a 2-point conversion that would have tied the game with 66 seconds to play an 18-16 loss. This week, Baltimore brings the NFL’s No. 2 scoring (30.9 PPG), rushing (177.4 YPG), and No. 3 (252.8 YPG) passing offense to Inglewood. The Chargers counter with the NFL’s No. 1 scoring (14.5 PPG) defense. Justin Herbert tore up the Bengals Sunday night. He’ll launch an aerial assault on Baltimore’s worst-in-the-NFL secondary, which is giving up 284.5 YPG. But the Ravens run the ball better than any team in the NFL. And SoFi offers the perfect track for Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry, and the rest of the Ravens offense to break out in the second half. Justin Tucker is insurance against any 2-point line. Especially in a climate-controlled, purple-and-black clad environment.”
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
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