Steelers vs. Browns Point Spread: NFL Week 1 Odds, Prediction
If you are historically bad at your job in any company over a two-year span, you surely are getting fired. Yet, Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson still has gainful employment despite an unprecedented 1-31 regular-season record as his Browns come off the second-ever 0-16 season in league history.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
In the modern-day NFL, the longest losing streak is 26 in a row by the 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They were 0-14 as an expansion team and then lost the first 12 in ’77 before winning the final two games.
There’s zero chance the Browns go winless again as they have quite a bit of talent, including the past two No. 1 overall picks: quarterback Baker Mayfield (the 2017 Heisman winner) and defensive end Myles Garrett. This team at least looks interesting, which you may have noticed if watching on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” this summer.
The Steelers are the anti-Browns as they are one of the most stable, successful franchises in league history. It would be an upset if Pittsburgh didn’t make the playoffs for a fifth straight season and win the AFC North for a third in a row. They are -303 at Sports Interaction to win the division.
The road team is 3-1-1 ATS in the past five meetings.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers will have the services of arguably the best all-around running back in the NFL in Le’Veon Bell. He held out all camp and preseason because he was playing on the franchise tag again – so he simply chose not to sign it until the preseason was over. Bell did the same thing last year and played Week 1. Look for a huge season from Bell as he’s set for unrestricted free agency next summer and likely won’t be back in Pittsburgh.
QB Ben Roethlisberger loves beating the Browns because he grew up in Ohio as a Cleveland fan and remains perturbed the franchise passed on him in the first round of the 2004 draft. Big Ten is 22-2 in his career against Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns haven’t won a season opener since 2004 (covered only four of their past 20) and lost Week 1 last year at home to Pittsburgh, 21-18. Cleveland’s No. 1 quarterback that day was DeShone Kizer, the leading rusher Isaiah Crowell and the leading receiver Corey Coleman. They’re all gone now. Mayfield won’t be playing Sunday unless starter Tyrod Taylor, acquired in trade this offseason from Buffalo, gets hurt.
It’s not expected that mega-talented receiver Josh Gordon will be ready for Week 1. Gordon, who has dealt with addictions to alcohol and drugs and has played just 10 total games since 2014 due to suspensions, reported to camp late to make sure he was in a good place mentally. The Browns want to make sure he’s physically 100 percent before playing him. Gordon was one of the NFL’s most electric players in 2013.
