The Detroit Lions will go on the road for a second straight week in Week 7. This time they'll head to Baltimore to take on the 4-2 Ravens. Let's take a look at how these two teams match up and where they rank at.

Stat/Analytic	Lions	Ravens
Total Offensive yards	4th	12th
Points For	5th	13th
Passing Yards	6th	21st
Rushing Yards	8th	4th
Total Yards Allowed	9th	2nd
Points Against	11th	6th
Passing Yards Allowed	21st	3rd
Rushing Yards Allowed	1st	10th
Total DVOA	2nd	6th
Offensive DVOA	4th	10th
Defensive DVOA	3rd	2nd

This is a very evenly matched game here. Both teams excel at defense and both teams can put points on the board. Yes, the Lions are 5-1 and have been playing well, but this is a prove it game for them. This is the type of team that you have to beat on the road to prove that you're a contender and not just a really good team. 

How do you win?

You have to take Lamar Jackson's feet out of the equation. You'll still have to worry about his arm, but the feet are what kill you. This team likes to run a lot. As noted above, they're fourth in the NFL in rushing yards. What I didn't note above is that the Ravens have attempted to run more than anyone in the NFL. They've ran the ball 203 times this season. 

Luckily for the Lions, no team has allowed fewer rushing yards than they have in 2023. But can stay stop a mobile quarterback? We don't know fully know yet. The biggest challenge they've face so far is Patrick Mahomes and they only allowed 50 yards from him. Jackson is a totally different thing. We're talking about the king of running quarterbacks. 

The Lions allowed 700 yards rushing from quarterbacks last year. This year they've only allowed 76. So they're on a much better path. Can they keep that going against Jackson? They're going to need to.

Also, don't let Justin Tucker kick from anywhere if its at all possible. 

How to watch 

Detroit Lions (5-1) vs Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
Date: Sunday, October 22nd
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: M & T Bank Stadium/Baltimore, MD
Betting odds: Ravens -3, Over/Under 43
How to watch on TV: Fox
Streaming: FuboTV, YouTube TV, Network apps, etc.
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket. Radio map for rest of Michigan

For the out of towners, don't worry. This game is showing around most of the country. The Lions vs Ravens game is represented in red. 

Who to watch?

• Jahmyr Gibbs: Sunday is a big game for the rookie if he's playing as he's expected to. We've seen him take the reigns of the Lions run game against the Falcons, but this is one of the better defenses in the NFL. It's not going to be easy. A good game here would show what he's a capable of. A bad game is going to cause fantasy nerds to be idiots about the pick. Most people will understand how good the Ravens defense is. 
• Brian Branch: Before he went down with an injury, Branch was fully in the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation. This is a game where he can put himself right back into that conversation if he's able to go on Sunday and keep doing what he was doing.
• Jared Goff: He's been having an MVP caliber season. Now he has to go on the road with a run game that might not be able to function. Goff could put himself at the top of the conversation if he's able to attack the way he did against the Buccaneers when he was in a similar situation. 

Prediction

This is not going to be a high scoring game. Both teams have stellar defenses. I have to go with the Lions here becasue their biggest strength on defense is the ability to stop the Ravens biggest strength on offense.  

Lions win 23-20

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