Browns vs. Ravens Point Spread: NFL Week 18 Odds, Prediction
The Ravens seized sole possession of first place in the AFC North with a 31-2 rout of the Houston Texans on Christmas Day and simply need to avoid a loss in Saturday’s matchup at M&T Bank Stadium to clinch the divisional crown. The Browns enter their season finale riding a five-game losing streak and can boost their chances of finishing dead last in the NFL standings and claiming the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by extending that slide in Saturday’s contest.
With the division title on the line, the Ravens have rocketed to massive 18-point favourites on the NFL Week 18 odds. The Browns are pegged as a +1100 longshot to pull off an upset victory and the total is listed at 41.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
While this contest is shaping up to be the mismatch of the week, the Ravens still have some work to do to overcome a 2-4 straight up and against the spread record in their past six dates with the Browns, capped by a 29-24 loss in Cleveland in Week 8. While the Ravens have topped Cleveland in six of eight meetings in Baltimore, they have only covered the spread twice over that stretch.
Baltimore has also produced mixed results when pegged as big home chalk, losing outright just once as a double-digit home favourite over the past two decades but covering just six times in 19 outings since 2010. The Ravens have also paid out against the spread in just three of seven home dates this season.
However, Baltimore’s concerns pale in comparison to the Browns, who have lost seven straight on the road while covering the spread just once. Cleveland is also a dismal 1-29 in their past 30 as double-digit dogs and have gone 2-9 ATS in their past 11 over that stretch.
Cleveland Browns
Yet another lost season for the Browns mercifully comes to an end on Saturday. Devastated by a brutal combination of injuries and dismal play, the Browns have been outclassed in each of the defeats during their current 0-5 slide and have mustered just 5.3 points per game over their past three outings. Overall, Cleveland has managed to score more than 18 points just once while going 1-7 on the road this season and now enter Week 18 sporting the NFL’s worst offence.
Complicating matters is the team’s growing list of injuries that has further crippled their already feeble attack. Among the players missing time at practice this week are quarterbacks Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameris Winston, rusher Jerome Ford, tight end David Nkoju, and rusher Michael Woods, who are joined by defenders Myles Garrett, Dalvin Tomlinson, Jordan Hicks, and Denzel Ward. In fact, the only thing on the Browns’ side going into this clash is Saturday’s weather forecast, which calls for freezing temperatures and high winds under sunny skies.
Baltimore Ravens
All the Ravens have to do on Saturday is avoid losing and the AFC North title is theirs. But this team must avoid looking past a Browns squad that defeated them 33-31 in their last visit to Baltimore and seen each of their past three clashes at M&T Stadium get settled by six or fewer points. The Ravens are also battling an illness that is making its way around the locker room that has sidelined several players with flu-like symptoms including offensive linemen Ronnie Staley and Patrick Mekai and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike.
With the lineup potentially depleted, it adds to the urgency for the Baltimore attack to once again strike early and often after outscoring opponents by a combined 33-0 margin in first-quarter action over the past four games. With a comfortable early lead, head coach John Harbaugh can enjoy the luxury of resting starters particularly those stricken by the flu bug. However, that will do little for sports bettors backing Baltimore to cover a huge spread.
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BAL