The Baltimore Ravens are finally awake after resting in the first round of the playoffs. They’ll get a hot Tennessee Titans that is fresh off upsetting the New England Patriots in the wild-card round, featuring a tough rushing attack and a good-enough defense.
But after taking a look at the tape and how both teams stack up, all the writers of Ravens Wire are not only predicting a Baltimore win but a blowout. Take a look at all our detailed final score predictions for the Ravens vs. Titans divisional-round playoff game.
Matthew Stevens:
Ravens 49 – Titans 13
People seem to be forgetting just how prolific Baltimore’s offense is this season. They lead the league in scoring, have a record-shattering quarterback under center and set an NFL record for rushing yards. While Tennessee rightfully has people excited after their win over the Patriots, the Ravens are a completely different beast that can hang 14 points on them in the blink of an eye.
As we’ve seen quite often this season, that’s precisely what happens here. Baltimore gets out to a quick lead and forces the Titans to back off their powerful rushing attack and instead rely on the arm of Ryan Tannehill, which isn’t the recipe for success. The Ravens get out to a comfortable lead and Tennessee picks up points in garbage time while Baltimore coasts to another dominant win this season.
Wola Odeniran:
Ravens 30 – Titans 14
I like Baltimore a lot in this game, especially offensively. Even though the New England Patriots struggled to put up points last week, they had a lot of success moving the ball on first down against Tennessee. The Ravens’ offense, which averaged an NFL-high 24.1 first downs-per-game, will take advantage of that for themselves. Baltimore already averages 33.2 points a game but they’ll find it easier to march down the field with the Titans setting them up with short second and third downs.
If that’s the case, I don’t think Tennessee’s offense has enough to keep pace.
Neil Dutton:
Ravens 31 – Titans 20
The score will somewhat flatter the Titans, who will not be in the game long after the Ravens jump out early to a big lead. Tennessee’s defense will have no answer for quarterback Lamar Jackson and tight end Mark Andrews. Being forced to play catch-up with Don Martindale’s blitzes will be too much for Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill to deal with.
Vasilios Nikolaou:
Ravens 41 – Titans 17
It’s clear Lamar Jackson and company enjoy playing under the lights, as the Ravens are averaging 41 points per game in primetime. This primetime game will be no different, even though it’s in the playoffs.
Baltimore will take advantage of Tennessee’s 21st-ranked defense (24th vs. pass, 12th vs. tun) while keeping running back Derrick Henry in check. The Ravens will get out to an early lead and force Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill to throw, which will get the ball back sooner for the offense. The game will be over by the middle of the third quarter and Jackson will once again get some rest in the fourth quarter while the backups finish it off.
Alex Bente:
Ravens 33 – Titans 13
Even though Tennessee is considered a “dangerous team” in the postseason, I just don’t see them matching up well against Baltimore, who come into this game superior in every facet and have a home crowd to boot.
Now I know most people were shocked at the Titans’ upset victory over the Patriots, but given that New England lost to Miami the week prior and have shown glaring issues throughout the season, I certainly wasn’t. Sure, the Titans had a solid run that put them in playoff contention, but only a few of those victories feel impressive. The Ravens on the other hand have taken on the NFL’s best and have the tools and talent to best anyone on either side of the ball.
Like in so many previous weeks against inferior teams, the Ravens control this game from the start with an unsolvable offensive scheme and a strong defensive presence that takes away what the opponent does best. Next stop: the AFC Championship.
