MINNEAPOLIS —
Baltimore and Minnesota are coming off victories in drastically different fashions, hoping to keep pace in their respective divisions as the second half of the season hits its stride.
Baltimore (3-5) is coming off what some teams call a mini bye, defeating Miami on Thursday Night Football by three scores. Minnesota (4-4), a 9.5-point underdog, was arguably the biggest upset from Week 9 after it beat Detroit by three points, keeping the NFC North the toughest division in football.
Despite all NFC North teams sitting at .500 or better, Baltimore is favored in the game (opened at 4.5-point favorites), even though it has never won in Minnesota and has a worse record between the teams.
So far this season, the NFC North has gotten the better of its AFC equivalent, holding an 8-3 record in interconference play.
But something may have to give.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is a whopping 24-3 in his career against the NFC. While one of those three defeats came at the hands of Detroit in Week 3, another took place as recently as December 2024, suggesting Jackson may be entering a slight skid.
With a win, Baltimore has a chance to be one game out of the division lead. But if the Vikings are going to keep pace and wedge themselves into the playoffs, they can’t lose a home game to the Ravens now.