NFL Week 12: San Francisco 49ers @ Balitmore Ravens

San Francisco 49ers @ Baltimore Ravens Thurs. Nov. 24, 2011 8:20 p.m. EST

One of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season is without a doubt the San Francisco 49ers. Even though the 49ers have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL on both sides of the football, the main reason for their success this season and a very impressive 8-1 record is the presence of new head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines.

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Usually, the transition from college football to the NFL is a rough one in which not many head coaches can survive, but Jim Harbaugh has made the transition flawlessly and turned the San Francisco 49ers into arguably the second-best team in the NFC Conference this season behind the undefeated Green Bay Packers.

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Coming into Week 12’s Thanksgiving Day showdown with the Baltimore Ravens, Jim Harbaugh will be facing arguably the toughest test as a head coach on any level of football as he will go head-to-head against his brother John Harbaugh. With both brothers single-handedly turning around struggling franchises, this game will be epic to say the least with this being the first time the two brothers will meet on the NFL level.

There is no question that the Baltimore Ravens are the more experienced and battle tested team of the two with John Harbaugh and company facing some of the toughest teams in the NFL week in and week out. Not only do the Ravens have to face some of the best teams in the AFC Conference every single week, but they also have to contend with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North division.

Unfortunately, the San Francisco 49ers cannot say the same as they must compete in arguably the worst division in the NFL in the NFC West. With the division title a forgone conclusion for San Francisco, the 49ers are will be playoff bound this season and have already been dubbed a success, but they still have yet to be tested against a truly talented football team like the Baltimore Ravens this season.

With that being said, this battle between Harbaugh brothers should be as good as it gets in Week 12 as neither team will be backing down on either side of the football. Both of these teams have a lockdown defense and a formidable offense, but for some reason the 49ers look like the better team heading into this matchup with Jim Harbaugh’s squad firing on all cylinders.

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As of right now, the Baltimore Ravens have been given the edge in this Thanksgiving Day showdown between Jim and John Harbaugh with a -3 point spread, but in the end I believe the San Francisco 49ers will pull off the slight upset as they seem to be the more complete team heading into Week 12.

Take the 49ers at +3.