Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns Betting Preview
Thursday Night Football features a battle of third place AFC teams as the Denver Broncos (3-3, third place in the AFC West) take on the Cleveland Browns (3-3, third place in AFC North). The Browns will host this one at FirstEnergy Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8:20 pm ET.
After starting the season undefeated through the first three games, the Broncos have now dropped three in a row, including a 34-24 loss to the Raiders last week. In the defeat, Teddy Bridgewater threw for 334 yards and three scores, but he also had three interceptions.
Cleveland has also struggled lately as they have lost two in a row. Last week, it was a 37-14 blowout at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals. In the loss, Donovan Peoples-Jones led all receivers with 101 yards and two touchdowns.
The Browns are the favorites playing at home. They are -126 to win while the Broncos’ moneyline sits at +108. The spread features Denver +1.5 (-106), and the over/under for total points is 40.5.
More Odds
Denver currently has the worst odds of winning the AFC West at +1100. The Browns have the second-best odds of winning the AFC North at +250.
The Browns have the ninth-best odds of winning the Super Bowl this season at +2000. The Broncos are longshots at +10000 to win Super Bowl LVI.
By The Numbers
The over/under for total points in this one is set pretty low at 40.5, which makes sense given that the under has hit in four of Denver’s last six games. Against Cleveland, they are 5-1-1 against the spread in their last seven games.
On the flip side, the over has hit in six of the last nine games that the Browns have played in. In their last six home games against Denver, the Browns are just 1-5 straight up.
Denver Trying To Snap Losing Streak
There was a lot of optimism within the organization after winning their first three games, but that has come crashing down with their play as of late. Trying to snap their losing streak, the Broncos will look to pick up the road win Thursday.
Luckily, through six games, they have actually played better on the road (2-1) than at home (1-2).
The biggest key to the Broncos winning is their defense. In their three wins, they have allowed an average of just a little over eight points per game. In their three losses, they have allowed 28 points per game.
Under center for the Broncos will be quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Despite hurting his foot in Week 6, he is still expected to start in this one. This season, he has thrown for 1,514 yards, ten touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Bridgewater’s favorite targets have been Courtland Sutton (33 receptions, 471 yards, two touchdowns), Tim Patrick (25 receptions, 344 yards, three touchdowns), and Noah Fant (30 receptions, 273 yards, three touchdowns).
Banged Up Browns Look For Home Win
The Cleveland Browns currently rank first in the NFL in rushing yards per game (168.5), but their depth is getting tested. Both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are dealing with calf injuries, with the latter being placed on injured reserve.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated there was a chance Chubb could play Thursday, but that remains questionable. On the season, Chubb has rushed for 523 yards and four touchdowns.
Under center for the Browns is Baker Mayfield. This season, he has thrown for 1,474 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. He has also been sacked a whopping 18 times through six games.
Defensively, the Browns rank 22nd in scoring defense allowing opponents 25.2 points per game.
Take The Broncos To Win
Surprisingly, Denver has actually been pretty good in short weeks. In fact, in their last 14 Thursday night games, they are 11-3.
Despite their recent struggles, expect the Broncos’ defense to show up against a depleted Browns’ offense. If they can do that, this is a game that Denver should be able to steal.
Take the Broncos to win outright at +108.
