Could Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers on Christmas be Biggest NFL Game of the Year?

The Baltimore Ravens' Christmas day game against the San Francisco 49ers is shaping up to be one of the biggest of the year.

As the Baltimore Ravens enjoyed their bye week atop the AFC at 9-3, the San Francisco 49ers took care of business on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles, handing the defending NFC champions a 42-19 loss.

In Week 16, the Ravens and 49ers will be playing on Christmas day in what could be a matchup of the two best teams in the NFL. Last season, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Miami Dolphins 26-20 in what was the most watched game of the Christmas slate. The game was the ninth-most watched game of the 2022 regular season at 25.9 million viewers. 

This year, the Christmas slate features the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs playing at 1 p.m., the New York Giants and the Eagles playing at 4 p.m., before finally, Baltimore and San Francisco battle it out on prime time at 8:15 p.m. 

The Baltimore Ravens have the best scoring defense in the NFL, allowing just 15.6 points per game to opponents.  / © Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Not only are both teams at the top of their respective conferences (Ravens tied for first in AFC, 49ers tied for second in NFC), but they also have the two best scoring defenses in the NFL. Baltimore is giving up 15.6 points per game to opponents while San Francisco is giving up 15.8 points per game to opponents. 

Brock Purdy and Lamar Jackson also both sit at the top of the MVP race this season along with other of players like Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott and Tyreek Hill.

Both teams are currently 9-3, but the Ravens have a harder two weeks before the Monday Night Football matchup. They will play the Los Angeles Rams and the Jacksonville Jaguars while the 49ers will play the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals. 

Ravens Super Bowl Odds: How High?

If things break right, Baltimore and San Francisco on Christmas night could be the most watched game of the regular season this year, and possibly a preview of Super Bowl LVIII.