Sunday Night Football: Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers, NFL Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions for Week 12

Sunday Night Football: Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers, NFL Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions for Week 12

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

Sunday Night Football: Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers Betting Odds, Picks, and Predictions for NFL Week 12

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Two teams that have dealt with their share of notable injuries on offense this season meet for an AFC conference clash to close out the Sunday slate in Week 12. 

The Ravens just saw their second-most prolific pass catcher this season go down with a broken ankle in Week 11, as Mark Andrews was lost for the season in the divisional win over the Bengals. Meanwhile, the Chargers have already seen No. 2 receiver Mike Williams go down until next year with a torn ACL, and his replacement, Joshua Palmer, hit IR with his own knee issue that could potentially sideline him the rest of the 2023 campaign. 

Baltimore is in exponentially better shape than Los Angeles in terms of the postseason, as the Ravens now boast an 8-3 record and one-game lead over the Browns for first place in the AFC North.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles is seemingly playing for both its playoff life and head coach Brandon Staley's job, as the Bolts enter this matchup just 4-6 and having lost two straight contests to NFC North foes Detroit and Green Bay.

Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers Betting Odds for NFL Week 12

*Best lines at time of writing listed

Moneyline: Ravens -164 (FanDuel Sportsbook) / Chargers +150 (DraftKings Sportsbook)

Point spread: Ravens -3 (PointsBet Sportsbook) / Chargers +3.5 (BetMGM Sportsbook)

Totals: Over 48 points (DraftKings Sportsbook) / Under 48.5 points (PointsBet Sportsbook)

The Chargers were a favorite in this matchup once upon a time, as they opened with a two-point projected advantage back in the summer. Naturally, that now feels like a lifetime or two ago for the Bolts, whose offense has undergone some attrition since then and who have underwhelmed even when they've been close to full strength.

Los Angeles was already a 3.5-point underdog before Week 11 action, and after the Bolts' loss to the Packers, that number was bet up to as high as 4.5 on a couple of occasions this week before settling at a more modest 3.5 at several sportsbooks.

The total has been seeing upward movement of its own, with the number climbing from a figure of 44 points before Week 11 action before beginning a steady upward trajectory that now sees it at 48.5 at multiple sportsbooks. Making that movement all the more interesting is that it's risen after Andrews' injury and the fact the Chargers underwhelmed against Green Bay by scoring 20 points.

Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers Betting Picks This Week 

The Ravens impressively managed to score 34 points against the Bengals in Week 11 despite losing Andrews in the first quarter, perhaps a harbinger of how well-prepared their offense is to weather his loss as compared to years past.

Baltimore had already been showing signs of really hitting its stride in Todd Monken's passer-friendly scheme before Andrews' injury, and they'll now have a chance to perhaps shift their focus more to their eclectic group of wideouts led by standout rookie Zay Flowers

Lamar Jackson is already completing a career-best 69.5 percent of his passes and has posted a 70.0 percent completion rate or better on seven occasions overall. Andrews' backup Isaiah Likely could also help ensure there isn't a significant drop-off at the position. The second-year pro filled in admirably for Andrews last season, posting a combined 14-180-1 line in two of the three games in which he logged 49 or more snaps.

Jackson also has some pass-catching talent at his disposal in his running back corps, particularly Justice Hill and emerging undrafted rookie Keaton Mitchell. The latter has been especially impressive of late with his explosive speed, and he's averaging a De'Von Achane-like 10.3 yards per carry over a small sample of 20 rush attempts. He's also taken four catches for 45 yards and posted a 49-505-2 line through the air during his final two college seasons at East Carolina. 

All of these numbers, combined with a Ravens defense that's allowed an NFL-low 256 total yards per road game at an NFL-low 4.2 yards per play, point to Ravens success at SoFi Stadium on Sunday night. The Chargers' weakness on defense has been defending the pass, as Los Angeles is surrendering 291.6 passing yards per game and a co-NFL-high 12.0 yards per completion at home. 

The combination of a more complete overall team and the potential return of Marlon Humphrey from a calf injury to help defend the Chargers' last receiver standing, Keenan Allen, should lead to a Ravens victory here, with a same-game parlay involving the Under (hitting largely due to the Chargers' inability to score consistently versus Baltimore) as a good "lean" to consider for boosted odds.

Team vs./@ Opponent Best Bets:

The Pick: Ravens moneyline (-164 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Lean: Ravens moneyline and Under 48.5 points (+194 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers Prediction

Ravens 24, Chargers 20

As already noted, the loss of Andrews will unquestionably have an effect on the Ravens' passing game, but this season Baltimore is much better suited to withstand such a loss due to the solid depth of the pass-catching corps. The Ravens' deep running game will also play a key factor in keeping matters balanced for Jackson, who'll still be able to muster enough offense against an inconsistent and tiring Chargers defense to muster a solid road victory in this spot. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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