NFL Week 9 picks: Who the ‘experts’ are taking in Ravens vs. Seahawks

In a week with a handful of heavyweight matchups, this slugfest between coastal elites might be my favorite. High-powered offenses, hard-hitting defenses — what more can you ask for? Mistake-free football, if you’re Pete Carroll. Seattle ranks second in the NFL in penalties per game, many of them of the pre-snap variety that put the Seahawks behind the sticks before they can even get going. They also rank in the league’s bottom tier on third down — both on offense (35.4%; 23rd) and defense (45.3%; 30th). The ‘Hawks largely have been able to overcome their self-inflicted errors thanks to a very forgiving schedule (.368 strength of victory), but continued carelessness will not fly against the Ravens. Especially not at M&T Bank Stadium, where Lamar Jackson boasts a .765 career winning percentage (26-8) — the fourth-best home win rate among active QBs since 2018.

This is a good midseason test for both teams. The Ravens will have the best playmaker in Lamar Jackson and the better all-around defense. But Seattle will make them earn drives on offense and has the weapons to punish defensive lapses. The Ravens will build another early lead and hang on with support from their home crowd.

The Ravens beat the Cardinals in lackluster style last week, while Seattle came back to beat the Browns and P.J. Walker. The Seattle defense is improving every week, and adding Leonard Williams will help, but this is a long trip against a team that can score. Look for Lamar Jackson to play better than he did last week.

The Seahawks have done better than expected this year. Winning in Baltimore might be too much to expect.