The Final Verdict on Ravens at Vikings Prediction
The Minnesota Vikings will seek a second upset in a row this week, downing the Detroit Lions in Week 9 and hoping to overcome a 4.5-point spread in Week 10 at home against the Baltimore Ravens. Most fans believe Kevin O’Connell and friends will come close in the endeavor.
Vikings fans make their final call on Ravens at Vikings — complete with bold predictions, gut feelings, and how the matchup might actually unfold.
Baltimore, meanwhile, has a 3-5 record through nine weeks, but oddsmakers still expect John Harbaugh’s team to win the AFC North.
The Fans’ Say: Ravens at Vikings
Our panel mostly isn’t picking against Minnesota two weeks consecutively.
Individual Score Predictions from Fans
Only one person from our panel picked the upset last week. This go-round, there’s enough momentum to buy into Minnesota all over again. Well, at least half the panel.
Bruce Johnson | @sachikojohnson: MIN Wins, 27-24
Chris | @skol227: BAL Wins, 31-20
Eric Horstman | @ehorstman23, BAL Wins, 31-27
Ivan the Czar | @up4discussion_7: BAL Wins, 33-24
Jens | @rednpurple77: MIN Wins, 27-24
Skol Tom | @SkolFrom WI: MIN Wins, 30-27
Steve Berglund | @VikesIn18: MIN Wins, 27-20
Tadd | @ST7CUbs: BAL Wins, 31-24
In Week 9, only Skol Tom foresaw the upset, choosing Minnesota to win by eight. The Vikings won by three, snapping a five-year losing drought at Ford Field.
Season Standings
Jens from Norway continues to lead the pack, but he now shares the lead with Horstmand and Week 9 champion, Skol Tom.
Jens: 5-3
Eric Horstman: 5-3
Skol Tom: 5-3
Bruce Johnson: 4-4
Ivan, the Czar: 3-5
Steve Berglund: 3-5
Tadd: 3-5
Chris: 2-6
Two of the men in first place picked Minnesota this weekend over Baltimore, perhaps a good omen.
The Collective Voice Fan Forecast
Believe it or not, the group ultimately picked the Ravens to prevail, splitting the vote down the middle, with the edge leaning in favor of Lamar Jackson and Co.
Our panel, as a consensus, picks Baltimore to leave Minnesota with a 27-26 victory.
From Others
SI.com‘s Ryan Gilbert rolled with Baltimore: “The Ravens are simply a different team with Lamar Jackson under center. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league for a reason, and he showed why last week.”
“The Vikings were able to get up for a road win against a division rival, but it might be a letdown spot here against Baltimore. The Ravens are hoping to put their horrid start behind them to push for a playoff spot, and every game is close to a must-win at this point.”
If the Ravens win on Sunday, it will be their first-ever win in the state of Minnesota.
“The Ravens defense has settled in with 17, 16, and 6 points allowed in the last three games. They should be able to limit the Vikings offense and cover the spread in Minnesota. Baltimore has now won two straight games to get the taste of its four-game losing streak out of its mouth,” Gilbert added.
“It’ll be an uphill battle to make the playoffs, but the Ravens may have what it takes. At the very least, they have what it takes to get the road win in Minnesota on Sunday. Final Score Prediction: Ravens 27, Vikings 20.”
NFL.com‘s Eric Edholm called Minnesota the league’s 20th-best team this week in his power rankings.
He explained, “J.J. McCarthy’s return to action was a wild affair, filled with ups and downs and everything in between, but the end result is that he played well enough to win, making several clutch plays throughout. The consistency still needs to arrive, but this is the type of game performance Minnesota was hoping for when they traded up for him in the 2024 draft.”
“He only threw nine times in the second half, and three in the fourth quarter, but Kevin O’Connell trusted McCarthy enough to deliver the final nail to Jalen Nailor. The Lions had carved up Brian Flores’ defense in multiple previous meetings, but on Sunday, that unit got after Jared Goff relentlessly. Just a shocking win after the Chargers debacle, and just like that, Minnesota is back to .500.”
Minnesota is the only NFL team at the moment with a .500 record.
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