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The NFL regular season is back this Thursday with a terrific matchup on the books. We have a rematch of the AFC Championship game last season. The Baltimore Ravens are traveling to Kansas City to take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
The Chiefs are looking to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls and look to start their season out right. Meanwhile, the Ravens look to put the AFC Championship loss behind them and ruin the Chiefs ring ceremony.
In this article, we dive into our Ravens @ Chiefs picks and break down this Thursday Night Football matchup that kicks off the 2024 season.
Last season, when headed into the AFC Championship game, many thought the Baltimore Ravens would dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens were the best team in the AFC after finishing 13-4 in the regular season, giving them the home-field advantage in this matchup.
The Ravens had the best defense in the NFL last season, and they did their job in that matchup, holding the Chiefs offense to just 17 points. However, their MVP-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense couldn’t get going, scoring just 10 points. The 17-10 loss left a terrible taste in the Ravens and all their fans’ mouths.
The Chiefs went on to win their second Super Bowl in a row in a thrilling overtime win against the 49ers. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were able to add to their already great legacies, winning as the underdogs.
Fast forward to these two teams’ offseasons, starting with the Ravens. The Ravens offseason was filled with plenty of change around the organization. Their defensive coordinator, Mike McDonald, who coached them to be the best defense in the league, left to be the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
The Ravens defense lost some key players as well. They lost Pro Bowl inside linebacker Patrick Queen, Jadeveon Clowney, and safety Geno Stone. Losing all of that on the defensive side of the football, we expect the Ravens defense to take a step back.
However, on the offensive side of the football, they had one of the biggest moves of any team this offseason. They brought in veteran running back Derrick Henry after a tremendous eight-year career with the Tennessee Titans. A rushing combo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will surely terrify teams this season.
The Chiefs also had some moving pieces on the defensive side of the football. Their biggest loss was cornerback L’Jarous Snead to the Tennessee Titans, who was their top corner on the outside. But outside of that, they didn’t have many other key losses.
The Chiefs biggest offseason addition was adding former Baltimore Raven Marquise Brown. However, he injured his shoulder in training camp and will likely be out for this matchup Thursday. Finally, they added the fastest player in the NFL Draft, wide receiver Xavier Worthy, in the first round.
Last season, the Chiefs started with a 21-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on the opening night of Thursday Night Football. We do not see them suffering the same fate this season and expect them to beat the Ravens by three or more points.
There are too many different parts on the defensive side of the football for this Ravens team to expect them to be clicking on all cylinders. Patrick Mahomes and the offense, with their continuity, should take full advantage of that and be able to exploit that revamped Ravens defense.
We expect Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs offense to have a big night alongside their solid defense making our Ravens @ Chiefs pick: Chiefs to win by three or more.
Dylan has had a love for sports since he was a kid. Four years ago, he decided to dive into the sports content-creating industry specializing in Fantasy Football, NFL and NBA. He has since had his work published on sites that include Fantasy Alarm, Fansided, and Fantasy Six Pack.