Browns vs Bengals

Week 14: Browns (+5.5) vs. Bengals (-5.5): Spread and Prop Picks

This week, the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals face off for the 98th time in their storied history. The Battle of Ohio will kickoff during the early slate of games week 14 and is certainly a matchup that has fans excited. The two AFC North rivals have already played once this season, back in week 8, when Cleveland torched the Bengals 32-13. While this score might suggest the Browns are the better team, the teams records tell a different story. The red hot Bengals enter this one as the favorite with an 8-4 record and will look to make it five consecutive victories. The underdog Browns come in at 5-7 but will look to duplicate the success they previously had against the Bengals earlier this season. This is a must win for Cincinnati, as they will try to edge past the 8-4 Baltimore Ravens and secure the top spot in the division.

However, this matchup will be anything but a cakewalk for the Bengals. The Browns are a good team with talent all over the field. Offseason pickup QB Deshaun Watson is back from his suspension and will look to bounce back from an underwhelming performance last week against his former team, the Houston Texans. Watson failed to reach the endzone in his first game with the Browns and only threw for 131 yards and rushed for 21 more. The offense looked stale and lacked the vintage Watson flair that fans were expecting. The Browns ultimately won the game against the Texans but will face a much tougher matchup this week. The Bengals will try to redeem themselves after losing their previous matchup against the Browns, and with star wideout Ja’Marr Chase back on the field, they look primed and ready to exact their revenge.

 

            We will highlight some key players in this divisional matchup that should make an impact on this game. Fans will be treated to a plethora of talent in this one and we expect to see big numbers from both teams. We are using the odds from PointsBet.com for our player props and new users to the site can get two free bets of up to $2,000 when they join using the link below.

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Nick Chubb Over 70.5 Rushing Yards

Nick Chubb has rushed for 12 touchdowns and 1,119 yards off of 217 attempts. He is averaging 93.3 yards per game and is considered one of the best backs in the league. He will look to bounce back against the Bengal’s after an underwhelming performance last week against the Texans swiss-cheese rush defense. In week 8, the last time Chubb faced Cincy, he ran for 101 yards off 23 attempts and punched it into the endzone twice. Chubb is a unique runner, combining power and elusiveness. He is patient and waits for his opportunities, but when he sees a hole he explodes through it, breaking through arm tackles and out running linebackers. The Bengal’s will have a tough time slowing him down as their run defense has allowed 114.3 rush yards per game this season. Chubb concedes touches to his talented backup RB Kareem Hunt, but Hunt’s involvement shouldn’t deter fans away from Chubb, as Chubb has consistently been given the majority of the carries, especially in the redzone.

Deshaun Watson is now the starting QB for the Browns and, in his debut start last week, he did not look good. Cleveland only had one trip to the redzone and Watson threw it away with an awful interception. Chubb never had a chance to punch one in from short but with Watson looking like a player who hasn’t played in over 700 days, Brown’s head coach Kevin Stefanski will likely turn to the run game to get the ball down the field. Chubb will be involved early and often in this one and should run past his 70.5 rushing yard prop with ease.

 

Joe Burrow Over 275.5 Passing Yards

            Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is letting Burrow cook this year. The third year QB is currently sitting in the second place position for the most passing yards with 3,346. Burrow has looked great this season, making confident throws down field to his star studded cast of receivers. It could be argued that the Bengals have one of the best wide receiving corps in the league and Joe Burrow has taken full advantage of the talent at his disposal. Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tyler Boyd have combined for 2,218 receiving yards, accounting for 63.5% of the teams total yards through the air. Burrow is averaging 287.2 passing yards per game and while they lost to the Browns the last time they met, Burrow still threw for 232 yards and two scores. Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow’s college teammate and favorite target, is back in the lineup after sustaining a hip injury that kept him out for the last four games. Burrow and Chase were back to their old ways last week against the Chiefs, with Chase leading the team in targets, yards, and receptions. The Brown’s defense looked like an unstoppable force last week, causing four tourovers and scoring twice, but they face a much tougher opponent in Joe Burrow and the Bengals week 14. To top this off, Burrow gets to play in his home stadium, where he has previously been unstoppable. I pity the Browns secondary, as they will have a tough time slowing down this Burrow led Bengals offense.

 

            I predict the Bengals win the game and cover the spread in this divisional matchup. Nick Chubb will rush for over 70.5 yards,  and Joe Burrow will throw for over 275.5 passing yards.