Browns vs Bengals NFL Week 18 Odds, Analysis and Score Prediction

If we are being honest, Sunday’s Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals game is essentially meaningless because the Browns are locked into their wild card seed and the Bengals are eliminated from playoff contention. Cincinnati is favored on the NFL odds because Cleveland should be resting starters.2024 NFL Expert Analysis Browns vs Bengals | MyBookie Sportsbook NFL Regular Season: September 7, 2023 – January 7, 2024 | Week 18 NFL

How to Bet Browns at Bengals NFL Odds & TV Info

When: Sunday, 1 PM ET
Where: Paycor Stadium
TV: CBS
Radio: http://www.siriusxm.com/nfl
Stream Option: https://tv.youtube.com/learn/nflsundayticket/
Opening NFL Lines: Bengals -7 (total 37.5)

First Meeting

In Week 1 this season, Cleveland beat Cincinnati 24-3. Deshaun Watson ran for a touchdown and threw for another, and Cleveland’s defense held Bengals QB Joe Burrow to a career-worst 82 yards passing (14 of 31) as Cleveland’s defensive line pressured him all day. Burrow is now out for the season. The Browns forced the Bengals to punt 10 times in 14 possessions. Nick Chubb rushed 106 yards on 18 carries for the Browns but also is now out for the season. Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski improved to 6-1 against the Browns’ in-state rival.

Why Bet on Cleveland Browns?

The Browns will be the No. 5 seed on Wild Card Weekend and visit the AFC South champion, probably Jacksonville but also possibly Houston or Indianapolis. They are all currently tied for first in the division. For Jacksonville, the scenario is simple: Beat the 5-11 Tennessee Titans Sunday in Nashville and win the South for the second straight year. The Jags own tiebreakers over both Indy and Houston, so any other result would be moot at that point.

Cleveland not only beat all three of those AFC South teams during the regular season, but are also guaranteed to finish with a better overall record at no worse that 11-6, compared to no better than 10-7 for whoever clinches the AFC South.

Joe Flacco has been marvelous for the Browns and in Sunday’s 37-20 win over the Jets, the team’s fourth straight victory, he completed 19-of-29 attempts for 309 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Flacco eclipsed the 300-yard mark for the fourth straight game, with 296 of those yards coming in a blistering first half in which Flacco and the Browns torched an elite New York secondary.

Cleveland’s offense, missing Amari Cooper (heel) and Elijah Moore (concussion) was subsequently shut down in the second half. Flacco once again targeted David Njoku relentlessly, connecting with the big tight end six times for 134 yards. Njoku has four touchdown catches over his past four games and is proving to be one of the league’s top tight end receiving threats.

Flacco became the first player in NFL history to record at least 250 passing yards and two touchdown passes in each of his first five games with a team. Flacco became the second player ever to record at least 300 passing yards in four of his first five games with a team, joining Brian Hoyer (four of his first five games with Chicago in 2016). It seems unlikely that Flacco or most starters play much at all in this one as it’s just not worth risking injury simply to keep momentum into the playoffs. The Browns signed Flacco on Nov. 20 after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury on Nov. 12.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said there was not a decision yet on Flacco would rest in this one.

“This decision I’ll make for what’s best for every position and everybody on the team,” Stefanski said. “But Joe’s certainly a veteran that does a great job in the meeting room, does a great job on game day of letting you know what he’s seeing. He sees it really well. But I think it’s really important that you listen to your guys, both in this building, when you’re working and you’re in meetings and when you’re out there in the practice field. I think it’s important to listen to them on game day as well.”

Cleveland’s defense is one of the best in the league. They are second in takeaways per game with 1.7. They are first in opponent total yards allowed, with an average of 266.6. They are first in opponent completion percentage with 56.4 percent and are third in interceptions with 17.

“We take a lot of pride in that,” CB Denzel Ward said. “We have been saying we want to be the number one defense. I think we have been showing that. When we have the opportunities to go out there and get the ball back to our offense, we are executing.”

Why Bet on Cincinnati Bengals?

Nothing to play for here but pride for the Bengals – well, they can finish with a winning record at 9-8. Cincinnati lost its second game in a row Sunday, 25-17 in Kansas City as the Chiefs clinched yet another AFC West title. Backup QB Jake Browning completed 19-of-33 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. Things started off great for Browning and company, as they managed 17 points on their first three possessions but were kept off the board the rest of the way. Browning has played fairly well since Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending injury.

Joe Mixon rushed 21 times for 65 yards, adding four receptions for 22 additional yards and one touchdown. Mixon found himself on the receiving end of a seven-yard touchdown pass from Jake Browning in the second quarter, but that would be his biggest highlight of the afternoon. Mixon averaged a meager 3.1 yards per carry in the contest and this likely will be his last game as a Bengal.

Star Cincy wideout Ja’Marr Chase had just three catches for 41 yards. Chase played Sunday after missing one game with a right shoulder injury he suffered in Cincinnati’s Week 15 overtime win against Pittsburgh. The Bengals’ star receiver was limited in practice throughout the week. He might sit this week. Ditto fellow WR Tee Higgins, who suffered a left hamstring injury on his first catch of the game. Higgins said he reaggravated the injury that forced him to miss three games earlier this season. Higgins did return but there’s no point of the pending free agent playing here.

“Our No. 1 objective is to win this game by any means necessary. However that looks is however it looks,” said Bengals coach Zac Taylor of resting starters this week. “The fans that have continued to support us and cheer for this team and put their heart and soul into supporting us, get a chance to watch us play hard in a home game and find a way to win.”

Taylor doesn’t feel like there’s a need to press young players into the game to see what they can do. Of the eight players in the 2023 draft class, five of them have played at least 215 snaps from scrimmage and special teams combined.

Heading into the finale, Bengals end Trey Hendrickson is tied with the Steelers’ TJ Watt for the NFL sack title with 17 as he bids to become the first Bengal to claim an official NFL sack title. In 1976, six years before sacks were an official stat, the Bengals’ Coy Bacon led the league with 22.

Browns vs Bengals Expert Prediction

Bengals 24, Browns 16

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