49ers fans know how the last two ended.
The misery of NFL Week 12 for the San Francisco 49ers ends tonight with a bit of nostalgia. The Baltimore Ravens are traveling across the country to play the Los Angeles Chargers. 49ers fans know this as the “Harbowl,” the third one we watch. This sequel, however, has Jim Harbaugh in Southern California for the Chargers rather than his first two losses as coach of the 49ers.
Both teams have seven wins. The Chargers are reminiscent of when Harbaugh coached the 49ers, with that gritty smash-mouth style and always finding ways to win. The problem is, their schedule isn’t exactly the most difficult. The only team they’ve beaten with a winning record is the Denver Broncos.
On the other hand, the Ravens have been racking up wins against the likes of the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Commanders. They also have taken losses against the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns. It’s hard to see what team the Ravens have, but with Lamar Jackson as the quarterback, you know they are a threat in the postseason.
As said earlier, John Harbaugh has won both contests against his brother in the Harbowl. The first was on a Thanksgiving game in Baltimore. The second was Super Bowl XLVII, where the 49ers lost at the very end. Jim is on a different team now, so maybe he gets an edge over his brother.
FanDuel Sportsbook has the Ravens favored by 3 points. Given John Harbaugh’s history of one-upping his brother, I’ll take the Chargers and the points, but the Ravens pull through. The Chargers keep it close, but the Ravens come out on top. The Over-Under is set at 50.5. Take the under on this one. I don’t feel great about it, but Ravens games have typically gone wild, and this one will be more gritty than some realize.
At this point in the season with the 49ers, I’m in the mood to say, “Football is a silly sport,” but I’m still intrigued by this matchup.