Tremendous Bowl preview, right here we come? Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season is ready to wrap up on Monday evening, and the ultimate prime-time slot on the docket options two of this 12 months’s most explosive contenders within the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions, who mixed to attain 93 factors the final time they individually took the sphere.
Baltimore is the league’s top-scoring offense coming into “Monday Evening Soccer,” dropping 40 in a decent shootout loss to the Buffalo Payments in Week 1, then hitting 41 in a blowout win over the rival Cleveland Browns final Sunday. The true magic of that feat, nevertheless, is the actual fact the Ravens lit up the scoreboard in two other ways: Week 1 was a speeding showcase, with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry cruising up and down the sphere, whereas Week 2 was a passing clinic, with Jackson sending the ball downfield for one deep strike after one other.
The Lions regarded equally as dynamic of their final sport, a 52-21 shellacking of the Chicago Bears through which Jared Goff simply performed level guard, tossing 5 scores whereas each Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams stretched the sphere. Their Week 2 breakout solely got here after a dispiriting begin to the season, although, as coach Dan Campbell wanted to rally the troops following a disjointed Week 1 loss by the hands of the rival Inexperienced Bay Packers.
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Which high-octane assault is due for victory on Monday evening? Solely time will inform, however this matchup is must-see TV. We have got every little thing it’s good to know proper right here, together with easy methods to tune in and which gamers to watch.
The place to observe Ravens vs. Lions reside
- Date: Monday, Sept. 22 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- Location: M&T Financial institution Stadium (Baltimore, Maryland)
- TV: ABC, ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Attempt free of charge)
- Observe: CBS Sports activities App
- Odds: Ravens -4.5; O/U 53.5 (through DraftKings Sportsbook)
Key questions
Imagn Pictures
- Can the Lions get push within the floor sport? It has been a story of two weeks for Detroit on the subject of operating the ball. The electrical Jahmyr Gibbs was bottled up for simply 19 yards on 9 carries within the season-opening loss to Inexperienced Bay, solely to interrupt out with shut to eight yards per carry in opposition to the Bears. The Ravens, in the meantime, might be lacking their high inside defender in Nnamdi Madubuike (neck damage), doubtlessly clearing the best way for simpler speeding lanes up entrance. David Montgomery must also be set for a large position as Gibbs’ extra bodily counterpart, contemporary off back-to-back outings with 11 carries.
- Will Lamar Jackson check the Detroit secondary? The Ravens are an adaptable assault, pivoting to extra of a run-heavy strategy when ready or required, however Jackson can sling it deep with the perfect of them, as evidenced by his four-touchdown showcase in opposition to the Browns in Week 2. And he might need added purpose to attempt pushing the rock at dwelling, with a number of key gamers banged up within the Lions’ defensive backfield, together with ball-hawking security Kerby Joseph (knee) and high cowl nook D.J. Reed (knee). Even when each are in a position to swimsuit up, they is probably not at full velocity, placing extra strain on Lions Swiss Military knife Brian Department.
- Can the Ravens generate a cross rush? The Lions have left deal with Taylor Decker nursing an damage, however Baltimore is not precisely overflowing with confirmed edge defenders. Madubuike leads the membership with two sacks by means of two video games however might be sidelined Monday evening, and outdoors linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring), who led the Ravens with 12.5 sacks a 12 months in the past, has additionally been dominated out. That leaves Odafe Oweh, Tavius Robinson and rookie Mike Inexperienced as the highest candidates to get after Jared Goff. And getting after him is essential, as a result of when he is obtained time to function, Goff excels at rapidly distributing the ball to his playmakers.
X issue to observe
When Hopkins joined the Ravens this 12 months, loads of moderately minded of us waved off the acquisition as one other low-risk, low-reward gamble on an getting older, declining cross catcher — a Baltimore particular. However Hopkins has already confirmed remarkably clutch as a deep-ball artist for Lamar Jackson, scoring twice on simply 4 catches and securing all 4 of his targets. He could also be greatest served as a situational possibility at age 33, however D-Hop additionally simply seems refreshed whereas working downfield. Working in opposition to a bruised Lions secondary, he might have extra alternatives to function a form of nearer for Baltimore’s passing assault, whether or not on third down or within the crimson zone.
Ravens vs. Lions prediction, choose
Two years in the past, these two heavyweights met in a late-October conflict in Baltimore, and the Ravens ran away with it, rolling to a 38-6 victory that had many questioning whether or not Dan Campbell’s Lions had been actually on the ascent. Jackson was near-perfect in that matchup, tossing three scores and speeding for a fourth, whereas Goff hurled a whopping 53 passes whereas attempting — and failing — to maintain up.
We’re not relying on that sort of lopsided affair this time round. That is principally because of the remaining questions on Baltimore’s protection, which was ill-prepared to carry a Week 1 lead in opposition to Buffalo and is now with out a pair of front-seven tentpoles in Madubuike and Van Noy. Their absences alone ought to allow the Lions to correctly set up the run and arrange Goff’s play-action photographs to St. Brown, Williams and tight finish Sam LaPorta.
That stated, this sport remains to be on the Ravens’ turf. Baltimore is 35-16 at dwelling since Jackson took over because the full-timer in 2019. And Jackson stays in MVP type because the do-it-all centerpiece of his squad. Monday’s matchup would possibly require him to don his cape down the stretch, however we have seen him do it earlier than, and we anticipate to see it once more. Choose: Ravens 28, Lions 26 | Lions +4.5, Over 53.5
