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Super Bowl 2013 predictions: Will Ravens or 49ers win?

February 3, 2013 / 5:59 PM EST / CBS/AP

Super Bowl XLVII is finally here. Which Harbaugh brother will come out on top? Will the 49ers' Colin Kaepernick cap his amazing postseason run with a win on the biggest stage or will Ravens star Ray Lewis end his career with another Super Bowl Ring?

The 49ers are 4-point favorites, and one VP at the MGM Mirage estimates that 65 percent of the money has been wagered on San Francisco. Another oddsmaker told Covers.com: "We've been steamrolled by 49ers money."

But the Ravens seem to be the trendy pick among many sports writers - not to mention chimpanzees and pandas.

Below is a sampling of Super Bowl predictions from CBSSports.com experts and others:

Pete Prisco, Senior NFL Columnist: Ravens 27, 49ers 24

"I will take a pocket passer all day long over a running quarterback," Prisco says.

Clark Judge, Senior NFL Columnist: Ravens 24, 49ers 20

"I don't know what's driving this team -- if it's Ray Lewis, the memory of Art Modell or the play of Joe Flacco -- but what I know is I believe in teams with momentum," Clark writes. "And the Ravens have it."

Mike Freeman, CBSSports.com NFL Insider: Ravens 22, 49ers 17

"The Ravens will use the Lewis controversy as motivation and fuel because, well, this is what the Ravens do," Freeman writes.

Jason La Canfora, CBS Sports NFL Insider: Ravens 27, 49ers 24

"I'm buying the team of destiny thing with them," La Canfora says.

Pat Kirwan, NFL Insider: 49ers 27, Ravens 24

"The Kaepernick factor was the tiebreaker for me," Kirwan writes.

David Ginsburg, AP Sports writer: Ravens 24, 49ers 20

"Torrey Smith just might be the difference in a Super Bowl that will hinge on the 49ers' ability to prevent the Baltimore Ravens from scoring with the long ball," Ginsburg writes.

Janie McCauley, AP Sports writer: 49ers 31, Ravens 27

"The creative, switch-it-up San Francisco offense sure keeps opposing defenses guessing. The 49ers hope to do it again at the Superdome, when the Ravens will face an array of looks from Jim Harbaugh's team," McCauley writes.

Nate Silver, New York Times: 49ers have edge based on historical stats

"The better defensive team has usually won the Super Bowl -- and done so far more consistently than offensive juggernauts," Silver writes.

Chris Berman, ESPN: Ravens, 27-26

Tom Jackson, ESPN: 49ers, 24-21

Jon Gruden, ESPN analyst and Super Bowl winning coach: Ravens, 23-20

Peter King, Sports Illustrated: Ravens 27, 49ers 23

Chimpanzees at The Maryland Zoo: Ravens will win

Zookeepers put up two paper banners in the chimps' enclosure, one for the Ravens and another for the 49ers. The zoo's 11 chimpanzees were then allowed in to the enclosure. Zoo spokeswoman Jane Ballentine says the chimps first ripped off a piece of the Baltimore banner, signaling their prediction.

Pandas in Des Moines: Ravens will win

Television station KCCI reports three red pandas at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines dipped their paws into two different buckets of treats aimed at determining the winner. Two of three picked the Ravens. The annual animal prediction has correctly chosen the Super Bowl winner for the past four games.

Orangutan in Fresno: 49ers will win

Prize primate Siabu is a pro at opening packages, according to Fresno's Chaffee Zoo. The Super Bowl choices were inside a big box and inside that big box were two more boxes with blankets representing each team. Within seconds, Siabu picked the 49ers over the Ravens - but beware Niner fans: the orangutan has only been right half the time in years past

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