Browns vs. Bengals Point Spread: NFL Week 18 Odds, Prediction
The Bengals are 5-point favourites on the NFL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
This feels like a very unique NFL season in terms of starting quarterbacks going down injured or simply being benched due to poor performance. Since about midseason, it seems like there are at least 10 backups in a given week under centre and sometimes more. That’s the case here as Cleveland closes out the regular season in Cincinnati.
Veteran Joe Flacco has rescued the Browns, who have clinched a wild card spot, and was signed off the street in late November. Flacco is one of four QBs to start this season for the team, and it still has 11 wins. Historically rare for an NFL team to win that many games using that many quarterbacks. For a point of comparison, the New York Jets have also used four this year and will finish well under .500.
Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow went down with a season-ending in Week 11, but backup Jake Browning has managed to get the Bengals into possible contention for a wild card spot. The 27-year-old had never started a game before this season. He’s making himself some money as an upcoming free agent after making “only” $750,000 (US) this season.
In Week 1, the Browns were 1-point home favourites when they beat the Bengals 24-3. Burrow was frankly terrible off another injury suffered in training camp as Cincinnati totaled just 142 yards and six
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland won its fourth straight game last Thursday, 37-20 over the New York Jets, as Joe Flacco’s remarkable season continued with 309 yards passing – career-high fourth straight 300-yard game – and three touchdowns despite not having injured No. 1 wideout Amari Cooper. You surely will not see Cooper or Flacco or most starters this week as the Browns have clinched a wild card spot and are locked in as the No. 5 seed, so there’s no reason for Coach Kevin Stefanski to play his guys here. “It’s important for us to finish strong, so that’s what we’re going to do, and then we’ll get as healthy as we can going into the next season,” the coach said in regards to playing starters this week. “We’ll have a plan moving forward. I’ll update you guys as we get going through the week.” Stefanski, incidentally, is the first Cleveland head coach since Paul Brown (1951, 1953) with multiple 11-win seasons. The Browns have qualified for the postseason for only the third time since returning in 1999, following 2002 and 2020. In those years they needed a win in the regular-season finale.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati was eliminated from playoff contention with Sunday’s loss to Kansas City so they only realistic motivation is to finish with a winning record. “Our No. 1 objective is to win this game by any means necessary. However that looks is however it looks,” Coach Zac Taylor said Monday. The Bengals should return to AFC contender status next season with QB Joe Burrow back healthy. This might be the final game in a Cincinnati uniform – if he plays, and he might not due to a hamstring injury – for No. 2 wideout Tee Higgins as he’s set for unrestricted free agency, and the Bengals can’t really afford to franchise tag him. Jake Browning has been starting under centre for Burrow and played well enough that he might be too pricy to re-sign as well. Heading into the finale, Trey Hendrickson is tied with the Steelers’ TJ Watt for the NFL sack title with 17 as he bids to become the first Bengal to claim an official NFL sack title. Hendrickson has at least one sack in seven straight games and at least a half in eight straight.