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Andy McNamara
Browns vs. Bengals Point Spread: NFL Week 7 Odds, Prediction
It’s the second meeting in the “Battle of Ohio” as both Cleveland and Cincinnati are coming off of losses. The last time these two squared off was Week 2 as the Browns held on for a wild 35-30 victory.
NFL Week 7 Point Spread and Betting Analysis
As three-point favourites it’s interesting to note that Cleveland’s 0-5 against the spread (ATS) when playing the AFC North. Also, the Over/Under has hit the Over the last four times the rivals have played in Cincinnati. The Bengals lead the all-time head-to-head series 51-43.
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in their past six road games versus a team with a losing record and the Over is 7-0 when they play an opponent that is below .500.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback Baker Mayfield loves playing the Bengals. In five career matchups Mayfield owns a 12-to-6 TD/INT ratio and a 4-1 record. When facing the rest of the NFL he’s tossed 47-touchdowns to 35-interceptions and is 12-18. The point is that Cincinnati is Baker’s get right magic elixir.
The hosts have also lost three starters on their defensive line this month. This has led to the Bengals being ranked 27th in rushing yards allowed per game at a 142.3-average. Despite being shut down by Pittsburgh a week ago, the Browns are still No. 1 in yards on the ground at 169.5/game. Logical thinking suggests that Kareem Hunt will be plenty busy with a “pound the rock” mentality from head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow’s cooled from his hot start to the year. The 2020 first overall draft pick hasn’t thrown for a TD in two straight, despite chucking up 313-yards in the defeat to Indianapolis last Sunday. In his first encounter with the Browns, Burrow impressed with three passing scores and throwing for more than 300-yards. The rookie is tops in the NFL for pass attempts, is eighth in yards, but has also been sacked the most times (24). A major piece of the offense is running back Joe Mixon, who’s listed as questionable with a foot injury.
That all lends itself to another high scoring shootout where Burrow will need to throw a lot. If the running attack is limited then that should also allow Myles Garrett to tee off on the QB and build on his 7.0-sacks, which is second best in the league. Cleveland also gets safety Ronnie Harrison back from concussion protocol. That’s someone Burrow will need to keep an eye on since the last time we saw Harrison he returned an interception for a touchdown versus the Colts.
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