The Ravens will open their season at 8:20 p.m. Sunday against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Here are game predictions from The Banner’s sports staff and a guest picker.

How it should have looked

Kyle Goon, columnist: The Bills prevailed in January, but once again the Ravens beat themselves. I want to see what Baltimore looks like when it’s sticking with its ground game, which should be dominant, and without a 3-0 turnover margin. We’ve seen this Ravens team suffer Week 1 jitters before, but I don’t think that will get in the way of victory this time. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry lead the offense, and the defense makes the Bills, with a beat-up receiving group, look one-dimensional.

Ravens 27, Bills 17

Revenge tour starts here

Giana Han, reporter: Lamar Jackson dismantled the Bills easily in their first matchup last season before uncharacteristic mistakes ruined the Ravens’ playoff run. He’s had a whole summer to think about how to fix those mistakes — though that wasn’t quite enough to beat the Chiefs in last year’s season opener. However, these Ravens are arguably more talented than last year’s, and they claim to be even more motivated for a Super Bowl. Without the pressure of the playoffs, which has caused so many out-of-character performances, the Ravens will start with the win they should have had in January.

Ravens 27, Bills 24

A coin-flip game

Chris Korman, editor: We’re likely going to get a good game that will come down to ... who knows? A missed field goal by the rookie kicker? (Or a made one!) A blown coverage by the first-round safety? (Or a pick six.) I think the Ravens will be awfully locked in but ultimately held off — setting them up to seek revenge in the playoffs.

Bills 24, Ravens 21

Clicking on all cylinders

Paul Mancano, Banner Ravens Podcast co-host: In last year’s season-opening loss to the Chiefs, the Ravens’ offense sputtered — who could forget the deluge of illegal-formation penalties? — while attempting to incorporate free-agent addition Derrick Henry and three new starting offensive linemen. No adjustment period needed this time. Baltimore will be raring to go.

Ravens 30, Bills 17

Playing the odds

Jonas Shaffer, reporter: When the Ravens played the Bills in Baltimore last season, Buffalo’s defensive spine was compromised because of injury. So the Ravens decided to run all over them. Now it’s the Bills’ secondary — especially their cornerback room — that’s seemingly compromised because of injury. If the Ravens play the odds on offense and tighten up their run defense, they should leave Highmark Stadium happy.

Ravens 27, Bills 20

Talent wins out

Childs Walker, contributor: Three turnovers in the divisional round cannot obscure the fact that the Ravens outplayed the Bills over 120 minutes of action last season. Other than taking the ball away, Buffalo’s so-so defense found no means of stopping the most efficient offense in football. The Ravens, meanwhile, did a solid job of bottling up Josh Allen, though he didn’t need to take risks playing with a lead for most of Buffalo’s playoff win. It’s a new season, but these AFC contenders’ core strengths are the same. Difficult as it is to beat the Bills at home — they went 10-0 last season, including the playoffs — the Ravens remain the more balanced, explosive team.

Ravens 27, Bills 21

Baltimore sets the tone

Brandon Weigel, editor: After falling to the Chiefs at home in the 2023 AFC championship game, the Ravens opened the 2024 season in Kansas City and lost by a toenail. Things didn’t go smoothly from there. They lost to a lousy Raiders team, and while they reeled off five straight wins after that, it didn’t always look great, with the secondary getting sliced and diced by the likes of Dak Prescott (379 passing yards), Joe Burrow (392) and Baker Mayfield (370). The Ravens righted the ship from there, but their proclivity for self-inflicted wounds resurfaced in the divisional round at Buffalo, where they start the 2025 season. All the talk around The Castle about the vaunted 2000 Ravens defense suggests this year’s team wants to make sure it doesn’t stumble at the start this time.

Ravens 27, Bills 21

Guest pick

Lance Lysowski, The Buffalo News: A rookie drafted in the sixth round, Dorian Strong, may start at cornerback because Tre’Davious White has a groin injury that’s kept him out of practice the past two weeks. The Bills’ first-round pick, cornerback Maxwell Hairston, has been out since late July with an LCL sprain. Their defensive line also has some notable questions entering this game. Joey Bosa hasn’t played a regular-season snap for this team, and the six-game suspensions for edge rusher Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi will force Sean McDermott to rely on at least two rookies to rotate into the game. The defense has the potential to be much better in 2025, but it needs time to get healthy and jell.

Ravens 35, Bills 27