Browns vs. Broncos Point Spread: NFL Week 12 Odds, Prediction
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Nik Kowalski
The 7-3 Browns, now down quarterback Deshaun Watson for the season, have rallied off three straight wins and two in a row against their division. A four-game win streak has put the 5-5 Broncos right on the doorstep of the AFC Playoffs, as maybe Sean Payton is the difference-maker out in Denver after all.
Kickoff at Empower Field at Mile High is set for 4:05 p.m. EST with oddsmakers listing the home Broncos as the slightest -125 moneyline favourite, and the total at 36 on the NFL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Headed into this season both Cleveland and Denver were supposed to field two of the league’s top defences. That’s held true for the Browns who are far and away the NFL’s top defensive unit with 243 yards allowed per game. Denver remains dead last with 400 yards per game, but have dropped that number to under 350 over the past three weeks and haven’t allowed more than 22 points over this four-game win streak.
Denver’s defensive improvements has caused of all their last five games to go under the total. One streak will come to an end here though as Cleveland comes in having five straight road games finish over.
Head-to-head, the Broncos have won seven of their last times hosting Cleveland. The Broncos are 8-2 overall in their last 10 meetings with Cleveland too. The Browns have managed to cover in three of those 10 games.
Cleveland Browns
AFC North football is alive and well after Cleveland’s 13-10 victory over Pittsburgh last weekend. The Browns walked off their divisional rival too with Dustin Hopkin’s 34-yard field goal sending Cleveland’s fans home happy. Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, now starting in place of Watson, completed four straight passes on the game-winning drive. And the Brown shave brought up in some insurance at the QB position too, with 38-year-old Joe Flacco signing with the team Monday.
And even after allowing a 74-yard touchdown run, Cleveland’s defence managed to give up under 250 yards for the second time in three games. With two sacks against Pittsburgh, Myles Garrett re-gained the league lead with 13. Garrett is the NFL favourite for Defensive Player of the Year at +100 odds.
Denver Broncos
On the National stage in Week 11, Russell Wilson cooked up a game-winning touchdown drive. The 10-play, 75-yard drive ended in the hands of Courtland Sutton and gave Denver the game’s final points in their 21-20 victory over Minnesota. Sutton’s eight receiving touchdowns this year ranks second in the NFL.
Denver got a perfect five-for-five field goal kicking performance from Wil Lutz last week too, and their defence generated three takeaways which alleviated same finishing issues on offence – Sutton’s score was their only major of the game. But bottom line is Wilson looks just fine with several weapons on offence, and this Broncos defence is now meeting pre-season expectations as a playoff seed is not totally out of the picture for Denver.
CLE
DEN