Bills vs. Browns Point Spread: NFL Pre-Season Week 2 Odds, Prediction
There are storylines galore for Friday’s Buffalo at Cleveland Week 2 preseason matchup, mostly focusing on the quarterbacks. The Browns are favourites at Sports Interaction.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Cleveland Browns have been a train wreck in the regular season ever since 2007, which was the last time they finished with a winning record. However, they have won five straight preseason games, improving Jackson’s ATS exhibition record (including his one season as Oakland’s head coach) to 5-8.
Buffalo ended the longest playoff drought in the NFL last season under first-year coach Sean McDermott, although it took a miracle from Cincinnati in Baltimore to get the Bills in. McDermott is now 1-4 ATS in his preseason career following the Bills’ 28-23 home loss to Carolina (where McDermott was formerly a defensive coordinator) in Week 1.
The Bills and Browns last played a regular-season game in Week 15 of the 2016 season in Buffalo, a 33-13 Bills victory. Their last preseason meeting was in 2015, a 11-10 Bills road victory.
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo’s starting quarterback last year was Tyrod Taylor, yet the team couldn’t wait to get rid of him despite leading the Bills to that playoff berth. Taylor was traded to Cleveland for a 2018 third-round pick. Buffalo also traded up in this year’s draft to No. 7 overall so it could select Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. He’s got a cannon but there’s essentially zero chance that Allen opens the season as the starter because he’s raw and rather inaccurate. He should play plenty Friday after going nine of 19 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in the preseason opener vs. the Panthers while adding 29 yards rushing on three carries. AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman are battling for the starting job, with McCarron likely to win that. Both guys were actually injured Sunday at practice but it’s not thought it will keep either from playing here. Could mean even more time for Allen.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns of course took Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield at No. 1 overall in this year’s draft and the former Heisman winner looked spectacular in his team’s 20-10 preseason opening win at the New York Giants. Mayfield was 11-for-20 for 212 yards and two scores. However, Jackson has remained steadfast that Taylor (who surely wants to stick it to the Bills even in a meaningless game) remains his starting QB. Taylor also was sharp vs. New York, completing all five passes for 99 yards and a score. He was pulled late in the first quarter. Rookie receiver Antonio Callaway caught three balls for 87 yards and a score. Another rookie, RB Nick Chubb, was haled to 11 yards rushing on 15 carries as Cleveland’s backup offensive line was being pushed around.
