Browns vs. Ravens Point Spread: NFL Week 7 Odds, Prediction
The Browns hit the road after being outclassed in a 38-15 loss to New England last weekend, but remain just one game shy of Baltimore, which sits alongside Cincinnati atop the AFC north standings. The Ravens fell 24-20 in last week’s road date with the surprising New York Giants, and have tallied just one victory in their past six home contests.
There has been plenty of line movement since the Ravens opened as 6-point favourites. Backed by 66% of sports bettors, Baltimore steadily rose to 7-point chalk before settling back to their current position at -6.5. The total has also fluctuated wildly since opening at 45, climbing as high as 47 before settling back to 45.5, with the UNDER garnering 58% of the betting action.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Sunday afternoon’s matchup at M&T Bank Stadium marks the first of two regular season meetings between these AFC North rivals. The Ravens have dominated in head-to-head action, claiming victory in 23 of 28 dates with the Browns, including a 5-1-0 straight up run in their past six home dates. However, it was the Browns that earned a 24-22 victory as 3-point chalk in their most recent clash with the Ravens on home turf last December. The total has topped 46 just once in the past five clashes between these teams. Accordingly, the UNDER enjoys a slight 3-2-0 edge over that stretch.
Cleveland Browns
Things went from bad to worse for the Browns last weekend in what can only be described as their worst performance so far this season. After blowing a pair of leads on their way to a 30-28 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5, the Browns were outclassed out both sides of the ball by the Patriots. Led by rookie pivot Bailey Zappe, the Patriots made Cleveland pay for its mistakes, converting a trio of Browns turnovers into 17 points. And even when they hung on to the ball, this Browns team struggled to capitalize on opportunities, driving into the Pats red zone just twice on the day, with one of those possessions ending with a turnover on downs.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett enjoyed little help while tossing a pair of picks and getting sacked a season-high four times. Even more worrisome was the performance of rusher, who failed to record a run for double-digit yards before halftime, and ended the game with a season-low 56 yards and just 4.7 yards per carry.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens face some questions of their own in the wake of Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Giants. Baltimore looked to be in control after jumping out to a 20-10 lead in the second half, but the Ravens defence were unable to corral Giants rusher Saquon Barkley, who led the way on a pair of late-game scoring drives to seal the win. Last week’s collapse is a massive disappointment for the Ravens, who limited the Giants to just 80 total yards and just six first downs before the half. Baltimore also outpaced New York in total yards by a wide 406-238 margin on the day. However, allowing opponents to rally late has become increasingly commonplace for the ravens, who have now squandered fourth-quarter leads in each of their past two outings, and on three occasions overall so far this season.
The Ravens are still ranked fifth in the NFL with 26.3 points scored per game, and their eighth-ranked rush defense represents a huge challenge for the Browns. However, 6.5 points is a big spread to cover for a team that has mustered just 19.7 points per game over their past three outings.
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