Chiefs vs. Ravens: Game and score predictions

It’s time for this week’s Arrowhead Pride staff predictions. Every member of the staff picked the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Oakland Raiders last week, and every member of the staff was correct.

The Chiefs take on the Baltimore Ravens in their third game of the season on Sunday at Noon Arrowhead Time.

Let’s see how the staff feels about this matchup.

Tom Childs

I’m rolling with the narrative that these are the two best offenses in football right now. Lamar Jackson’s ability to get first downs with his legs will be the reoccurring theme for the Ravens offense, just like big plays will be for the Chiefs offense, despite what Earl Thomas thinks. This game should have been penciled in for a prime-time slot, but ultimately, the schedulers though differently. With that being said, I’m predicting a prime-time scoreline. Chiefs 41, Ravens 38

John Dixon

Even when the schedule was first announced, this Week 3 matchup was seen as an early test for both teams. That hasn’t changed. The Ravens and Chiefs each notched victories against (presumed) weaker opponents and now stand 2-0. A win for either squad will give it credibility as an early-season contender in the AFC. I expect this to be much like last year’s late-season game: a hard-fought battle whose outcome will be in doubt until the final minutes. Since they’re playing at home, I’ll give the edge to the Chiefs — but I wouldn’t be surprised if it tilts the other way by the same margin. Chiefs 27, Ravens 24

Ron Kopp Jr.

It’s hard to fathom how crazy Arrowhead will be for the Week 3 home opener against the Baltimore Ravens. It would have been rocking either way, but I think the vintage field design will have both players and fans on another level of hype. While the Chiefs offense is dealing with some crucial injuries, the defense is at full force and should be ready to feed off the energy of the home crowd. I believe we will see a great defensive performance, specifically from the pass rush. The offense will struggle more than they have in the first two games, but they’ll do enough to earn a victory. Chiefs 27, Ravens 17

Matt Lane

The Chiefs and the Ravens are both walking into their first real challenges of the year and the Chiefs are less than healthy for it. Injuries to Fisher and Hill could really affect this game, and if Mahomes is less mobile than usual, it could result in a much more difficult game. When the Chiefs have the ball, it will be paramount for the offensive line to hold up, giving Mahomes time work the pocket and pick apart the Ravens rather than relying on him to scramble and create. When the Ravens have the ball, the key will be to confuse Lamar Jackson and keep him guessing on the coverage, allowing the pass rush more time to get home. Unlike Ravens games in the past this one looks like a potential shootout. When points are plentiful, take the MVP. Chiefs 31, Ravens 27

Robert Rimpson

This one honestly has me stumped. On one hand, the Chiefs offense seems unstoppable, even without Tyreek Hill and it’s hard to imagine any team could outscore them. On the other hand, Lamar Jackson — who the Chiefs struggled to contain last year — has become an accurate passer on top of having the most dangerous feet in football. The Ravens also have a great defense, while Kansas City still has a lot to prove on that side of the ball. This game seems like a tossup to me, but when in doubt, go with the reigning league MVP. I think the game will be a high-scoring exchange early on, with Steve Spagnuolo making key changes in the second half to get stops for the Chiefs to take the lead and hold on to it. Chiefs 30, Ravens 24

Matt Stagner

This could be one of the biggest challenges of the regular season. The Ravens are lighting up the scoreboard, with a drastically improved offense. The Chiefs defense is already showing signs of life, but teams can move the ball on them. If the Chiefs had anyone else playing QB, I might pick Baltimore. But, even if this turns into a shootout, it’s a safe bet Mahomes and co. will come out on top. I think Mecole Hardman continues to progress this week with some key plays, and maybe Darwin Thompson gets a little run as well. This isn’t the Ravens defense from years past, but it’s not the old Chiefs either. Chiefs 45, Ravens 28

Craig Stout

No Tyreek Hill, no Eric Fisher, a less mobile version of Patrick Mahomes, and a version of Lamar Jackson that can toss the ball all over the yard. This game looks ripe for a close Kansas City Chiefs loss — but that’s not what’s going to happen. Steve Spagnuolo has some wrinkles up his sleeves and forces Jackson to make some mistakes through late-shifting coverages and a lot of pressure. Andy Reid keeps Mahomes clean by shifting the pocket away from a backup left tackle, and Sammy Watkins turns into a fully-powered solar reptilian being — even in the rain. The Chiefs win this one a little more comfortably than most are predicting. Chiefs 27, Ravens 13

Kent Swanson

The end zones, the midfield logo, the home opener. The Chiefs are not losing this game. In fact, I think the Chiefs put it on Baltimore. They’re a good team, so don’t take this as disrespect to what Lamar Jackson and company have done to this point in beating Miami and Arizona. I just think we get an excellent performance from the defense. I think the energy will carry that group in front of a home crowd. Frank Clark and Tyrann Mathieu get a sack this week. Patrick Mahomes throws for four touchdowns, one to LeSean McCoy. Chiefs 31, Ravens 13

Pete Sweeney

Going into last week’s Raiders game and having watched them the previous week against the Denver Broncos, I figured they would legitimately challenge the Chiefs. I was right… for 13 minutes. You know the rest. Week 2 taught me a lesson, and that was that no matter how good an opposing team looks coming into the game, the Chiefs offense will be too much. I think that is the case this week. I believe both the Ravens and Chiefs offenses will have success early, with Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs defense adjusting in the second half for an eventual two-score victory. Unfortunately for Earl Thomas, I think the Chiefs hit on several big plays, and I think it’s Mecole Hardman’s turn to put up the Madden numbers. Chiefs 42, Ravens 31

Joel Thorman

The Chiefs’ first big test of the season comes Sunday against the Ravens. I can’t wait for this matchup because the Chiefs offense will get a serious test against an excellent defense and the Chiefs defense will have a unique matchup problem against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense. Patrick Mahomes never disappoints, so give me the Chiefs in another thriller. Chiefs 34, Ravens 30

Ties in the standings are broken with prediction points error — how much each prediction misses the actual point spread and the number of points scored by each team.

Just as in Week 1, everyone picked the Chiefs to beat the Raiders. As a staff, our game prediction was Chiefs 35.5, Raiders 24.2. We thought the game would be closer (and higher-scoring) than it turned out to be.

In their individual predictions, Matt Lane and Craig Stout were closest to the mark. Both correctly predicted the 18-point spread. Matt missed each team’s score by a total of 12 points, while Craig missed by 14. That brought Matt’s average error to 15 points, which moved him into first place in the standings. Craig’s new average of 23 catapulted him all the way into third.