Predictions

Kevin Cowherd Ravens 21, Colts 14 The jacked-up Ravens will run Ray Rice into the ground against the NFL's 29th-ranked rushing defense and stave off Ray Lewis' retirement for at least another week. Look for the stadium to practically levitate when No. 52 comes through the tunnel and does his goofy dance. Edward Lee Ravens 24, Colts 17 The Chuck Pagano story may be the most inspiring one of the 2012 season, but no amount of emotion will overcome the tidal wave of support awaiting Ray Lewis when he steps onto the field at M&T Bank Stadium for perhaps the last time in his illustrious 17-year career.

Usually by early December, investment professionals have mapped out their outlook for the next year. But such forecasting has been made difficult by the "fiscal cliff" — the confluence of spending cuts and higher taxes that kick in automatically next year if politicians in Washington can't reach a deal. Some experts are waiting for the dust to settle on a compromise before outlining a 2013 investment strategy. But others say if it isn't the fiscal cliff, it would be the debt ceiling or some other Washington-manufactured crisis to worry investors.

Forecasters are predicting some snow accumulation around the Baltimore area Saturday, but just how much and how far south it could fall will remain somewhat of a mystery for perhaps another day. As of Thursday afternoon, though, it was looking like a snowy Saturday is likely. Models are suggesting a storm system will move up from the Gulf Coast through the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast over the weekend. But they are still mixed on what type of precipitation will affect Maryland. "Our corridor, the mid-Atlantic, is typically where the rain/snow line sets up, and this storm is no different," said Nicole Listemaa, a forecaster with the National Weather Service's Baltimore/Washington office in Sterling, Va. "The models we have that help us try and resolve these issues, there's a lot of difference between the solutions right now," Listemaa continued.

In this game-day staple, blogger Matt Vensel makes four sometimes-courageous predictions for the game. All he asks is that you don't hold it against him whenever those predictions end up being embarrassingly wrong. The playoff-bound Ravens have lost three straight games for the first time since 2009, but they can deliver a second straight AFC North title -- what a lovely holiday gift that would be for the city of Baltimore -- with a win Sunday. It won't be easy, as they play another desperate team for what feels like the 16th week in a row. Like the Ravens, quarterback Eli Manning and the New York Giants are coming off an embarrassing blowout loss.

Yes, two bar blogs in two days. It's Christmastime, I'm feeling the holiday spirit (or holiday spirits, as it were). I wrote a piece last week talking to a scout who briefly broke down the Orioles and the AL East for me. At the time, R.A. Dickey was still a New York Met, and the scout still predicted that the Toronto Blue Jays would leapfrog the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays and finish second in the AL East, just behind the New York Yankees....

Maryland Weather blog readers predicted a wide range of potential snowfall this winter in Baltimore, but on average, did not stray far from history. On average, readers are predicting 20.4 inches of snowfall in our annual forecasting contest , slightly above the average of 20 inches. Guesses ranged from a light 6.9 inches -- still 5 inches more than last winter's paltry 1.8 inches -- to 37 inches. The median guess was 20 inches, meaning readers are evenly divided in expecting an above- or below-average season.

A new study predicts that exporting the nation's cheap, seemingly abundant supplies of natural gas will boost the U.S. economy, giving a nudge to prospects for shipping liquefied fuel abroad from a nearly idle terminal in the Chesapeake Bay. The report, commissioned by the Department of Energy , finds that the economic benefits gained from exporting liquefied natural gas, or LNG, outweigh the impact that higher domestic fuel prices may have...