Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are the favorites in this season’s NFL MVP race. On Sunday, they’ll face off for a lot more than an individual accolade as the Buffalo Bills host to the Baltimore Ravens in a fight to reach the AFC championship. The Bills last advanced to the conference title game in 2020, while the Ravens fell to the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in last year’s AFC finale.
Is this Allen’s year to get over the hump, months after the Bills front office remade his wide receiver corps? Is Jackson too dynamic alongside the big-bodied Derrick Henry for Buffalo to slow down in January? Baltimore has punished defenses all season with its bruising one-two attack. It will be incumbent upon the hosts to do just that.
The Bills opened as favorites in his matchup only for the line to completely flip with the Ravens entering as the expected winner, according to oddsmakers. It is rare for Divisional Round hosts to be underdogs let alone lose underdogs, but that is what Buffalo is facing despite holding homfield advantage Sunday night.
No matter what happens at Highmark Stadium, this will be a must-see showdown.
How can you tune in? And who’s primed to walk away with the win?
Where to watch Bills vs. Ravens
Date: Sunday, Jan. 19 | Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Highmark Stadium — Orchard Park, New York
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Ravens -1.5, O/U 51.5 (SportsLine consensus)
Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen: Which superstar QB has the edge between two MVP candidates?
Garrett Podell
Prediction
In many ways, this is a legacy game for Allen, Jackson and their respective teams: Neither quarterback is in danger of slipping from the widely accepted tier of transcendent talents under center, but both signal-callers are desperate to forge their own defining postseason run and ultimately eclipse the hulking shadow of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. As such, we’d expect both to make their fair share of splash plays on Sunday, even and perhaps especially if the wintry weather strikes.
The real question is, which supporting cast is better suited for the occasion in wintry Buffalo? While the Bills are underrated as a rushing team thanks to James Cook’s explosiveness out of the backfield, Baltimore has been the more well-rounded contender at its peak, boasting a rejuvenated defense and a physical, methodical offense that was practically built for cold-weather playoff games. We like Henry’s chances against Sean McDermott’s front seven, especially after what he did to Buffalo back in September, and project Baltimore’s return to the AFC title game. Pick: Baltimore -1.5 | Ravens 27, Bills 24
Mike Tierney, who is on a 53-27-2 roll with Baltimore Ravens games, has released his best bets for the Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills Divisional round game. Tierney is leaning the Under, but who does he like against the spread? Find out here at SportsLine.
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