Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens Betting Preview
Sunday Night Football features a matchup of AFC North rivals as the Cleveland Browns (6-5) take on the Baltimore Ravens (7-3). The Ravens will host this one at M&T Bank Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8:20 pm ET.
Cleveland has shown a fair amount of inconsistency in their play lately, as they are 4-4 in their last eight games. Last week, they just escaped with a 13-10 win over the lowly Detroit Lions.
In the win, Baker Mayfield threw for 176 yards and a touchdown, but he also had two interceptions. Nick Chubb added 130 rushing yards on 22 carries.
Despite being without Lamar Jackson last week (illness), the Ravens were able to pull out a 16-13 road victory over the Chicago Bears. In the win, backup Tyler Huntley threw for 219 yards and an interception, while Devonta Freeman rushed for 49 yards and a score.
The Ravens are the favorite in this one playing at home. They are -186 to win while the Browns’ moneyline sits at +156. The spread features Cleveland +3.5 (-106), and the over/under for total points is 47.
More Odds
Baltimore is the favorite to win the AFC North this season, with odds at -155. The Browns have the third-best odds at +400.
In terms of the Super Bowl, the Ravens have the seventh-best odds to win it all at +1200. The Browns are +4000 to win Super Bowl LVI.
By The Numbers
Baltimore has had the slightly better offense to date. They rank 14th in scoring averaging 24.7 points per game (30.4 at home). The Browns rank 19th, averaging 22.2 points per game (26.6 on the road).
Defensively, these two teams are neck-and-neck. The Browns rank 17th in scoring defense, allowing opponents 22.8 points per game (29.6 on the road). The Ravens rank 18th allowing 23 points per game (27.6 at home).
Next Two Games Pivotal For Browns
Simply chalked to an oddity in the scheduling process, the Browns actually have two straight games against the Baltimore Ravens (with their bye week sandwiched in between them). Currently 1.5 games back of Baltimore, this is a pivotal point in Cleveland’s schedule if they want to make a run at the AFC North title.
Leading the way for Cleveland’s offense is quarterback Baker Mayfield. This season, he has thrown for 2,166 yards, ten touchdowns, and six interceptions. He has also been sacked a whopping 27 times thus far.
Mayfield’s favorite targets have been David Njoku (372 yards, two touchdowns) and Donovan Peoples-Jones (330 yards, three touchdowns). Coming back from injury, Jarvis Landry (245 yards) is also a big part of the passing game.
On the ground, Nick Chubb may be the Browns’ best weapon. In eight games, he has rushed 142 times for 851 yards and six touchdowns.
Jackson Likely To Go Against Division Rival
Despite being hampered with a non-COVID-related illness last week, it appears that Lamar Jackson will take the field Sunday night. He has been upgraded to probable for the contest.
In nine games this season, he has thrown for 2,447 yards, 14 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also leads the team in rushing as he has 639 yards on 106 attempts and another two scores.
One of the big questions is whether he will have his best receiver or not. Marquise Brown (719 yards, six touchdowns) is questionable for Sunday night with a thigh injury.
Without Brown, the leading receiver for Jackson would be tight end Mark Andrews. This season, Andrews has 56 receptions for 696 yards and four touchdowns.
Take Baltimore To Win At Home
Granted, in a rivalry game, just about anything can happen; however, this one seems like a great opportunity for Baltimore to extend their division lead.
It will be interesting to see whether Lamar Jackson’s illness is still taking a toll on him, but Baker Mayfield has not exactly been healthy either. In fact, Mayfield’s effectiveness has been pretty spotty over the last couple of weeks.
Regardless, if Jackson is on the field, the best play will be to take Baltimore at home, where they are 4-1 this season.
