Ravens-49ers is rare late-season game matching teams tied for the NFL’s best record

On Christmas night, the 11-3 Ravens and the 11-3 49ers will square off in a very uncommon late-season matchup between the two teams with the best records in the NFL.

The two teams tied for the top record in the NFL will play each other in Week 16 or later for the first time since the 1993 season ended. When the Cowboys and Giants faced off in the regular-season finale of that year, both teams had records of 11-4.

That game at the end of the 1993 season is remembered primarily for the performance of Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, who had 32 carries for 168 yards and 10 catches for 61 yards despite playing with a separated shoulder.

The Cowboys won to earn home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs and would go on to win the Super Bowl.

Football fans can only hope for a game that great on Christmas night, when Week 16 of this NFL season concludes with the top two teams in the league squaring off.

When the 11-3 Ravens visit the 11-3 49ers on Christmas night, it will be a very rare late-season meeting of the teams with the NFL’s best records. It’s the first time since the end of the 1993 season that the two teams tied for the best record in the NFL faced off in Week 16 or later.

The NFL’s Christmas Day tripleheader concludes (8:15 p.m. ET) with a potential Super Bowl preview, as the San Francisco 49ers host the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams head into Week 16, the homestretch of the regular season, as the favorites in their respective conferences.

Much of the betting money has been trending toward the 49ers, who have climbed to 5.5-point favorites after opening at -4.5. They’re also -238 on the moneyline, with the Ravens coming in at +195. The projected total is 46.5, up from 45.

What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and give our Ravens vs 49ers free picks.

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