browns vs bengals nfl betting prediction
PublishedJanuary 2, 2024,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:January 2, 2024 , ,

NFL: Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals Prediction 1/7/2024

The Cleveland Browns (11-5) travel to face off against the Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) on Sunday, January 7th. This game will be played at Paycor Stadium in Paycor Stadium and televised on CBS. The Browns are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Bengals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Chiefs. Kickoff is set for 1:00 ET.

Browns vs Bengalscleveland browns betting

The Browns Are Coming Off A Win

The Browns hosted the Jets in week 17. The Browns finished the game with a 37-20 win. Against the spread, the Browns’ 17-point win was enough to cover as 6.5-point favorites.

Looking at their performance on offense, Joe Flacco threw for 309 yards while completing 65% of his passes. On the ground, the Browns rushed the ball 28 times for 127 yards. The team’s third-down performance stood at 5/10.

When it came to defense, the Browns yielded 360 yards of total offense to New York. Among these yards, 107 were attributed to the rushing game, while 253 yards were given up through 45 attempts by the Jets’ offense.

Looking at the AFC-North standings, the Browns are in 2nd place on a record of 11-5. In the AFC, Cleveland is in 5th place heading into week 18.

This season, the Browns find themselves above .500 versus the spread with a record of 10-5-1. Their average scoring margin for this season stands at +3.2. This season, Cleveland games have seen an average of 44.6 points, which is 15th in the league. Their over/under record stands at 9-6-1, with an average OU line of 38.2 points.

Browns Injury Reportcincinnati bengals betting

  • Dawson Deaton – Knee (Out)
  • Michael Woods II – Suspension (Out)
  • Dorian Thompson-Robinson – Hip (Out)
  • Dawand Jones – Knee (Out)
  • Ogbo Okoronkwo – Pectoral (Questionable)
  • Mike Ford – Calf (Questionable)
  • Corey Bojorquez – Quad (Questionable)
  • Drew Forbes – Illness (Out)
  • Jacob Phillips – Pectoral (Out)
  • Jedrick Wills Jr. – Knee (Out)
  • Grant Delpit – Groin (Out)
  • Elijah Moore – Head (Questionable)
  • Jakeem Grant Sr. – Knee (Out)
  • Jack Conklin – Knee (Out)
  • Amari Cooper – Heel (Questionable)
  • Rodney McLeod Jr. – Bicep (Out)
  • Ty Nsekhe – Bicep (Out)
  • Dustin Hopkins – Hamstring (Questionable)
  • Maurice Hurst II – Pectoral (Out)
  • Nick Chubb – Knee (Out)
  • Anthony Walker Jr. – Knee (Questionable)
  • Deshaun Watson – Shoulder (Out)

The Bengals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Bengals traveled to take on the Chiefs in week 17 and fell by a score of 25-17. With a 8-point loss, the Bengals added a loss to their ATS record as well. They were 7-point underdogs prior to the game.

Versus the Chiefs, the Bengals turned to the run 32 times, and it was Joe Mixon who led the way with 65 yards. Meanwhile, Jake Browning finished with 33 pass attempts, resulting in 197 yards and a passer rating of 85.

In their most recent game, the Bengals defense allowed only 15 first downs against the Chiefs. In terms of rushing defense, Cincinnati conceded 132 yards, while the passing defense allowed 241 yards.

With an overall record of 8-8, the Bengals are 4th in the AFC-North. This record also has them 11th in the AFC. At home, Cincinnati is 5-3 compared to a record of 3-5 on the road.

As the underdog, Cincinnati has gone 2-4 this season compared to their ATS record of 4-5-1 as the favorite. At home, the Bengals are 3-4-1 ATS and 3-5 vs. the spread on the road. At 9-7 vs. the over/under, the Bengals have an average margin of +0.1 versus their over/under lines. This season, their games have a combined average of 44.1 points per contest.

Bengals Injury Report

  • DJ Reader – Quad (Out)
  • Joe Burrow – Wrist (Out)
  • Jalen Davis – Groin (Questionable)
  • DJ Ivey – Knee (Out)
  • Devonnsha Maxwell – Knee (Out)
  • Devin Cochran – Knee (Out)
  • Tycen Anderson – Knee (Out)
  • Jaxson Kirkland – Wrist (Out)

Browns Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side of the ball, the Browns currently hold an average of 23.9 points per game, which places them at 8th in the NFL.

Looking at their passing game, the Browns come in with an average of 222.1 passing yards per game, which is 19th in the league. Presently, 52.9% of their first downs are credited to the passing game.

Cleveland comes in with an average of 3.8 yards per rushing attempt and have an average of 30.9 attempts per game. In terms of total rushing yards, they are currently ranked 11th in the league.

Bengals Offense Breakdown

So far this season, the Cincinnati offense has been averaging 20.9 points per game, ranking them 17th in the league.

Cincinnati currently sits 4th in passing attempts and has an average of 6.4 yards per attempt (10). They are also ranked 11th in the league with 234.4 passing yards per game.

The Bengals come into the game handing the ball off 22.1 times per game and are currently 32nd in rushing yards. Their average yards per attempt is 3.8.

Browns Team Defense

In terms of yards allowed, the Browns are 1st in the league while giving up 266.6 yards per contest. Cleveland’s defense has allowed 20.7 points per game, placing them 10th in the NFL.

Bengals Team Defense

When it comes to defense, the Bengals have given up 255.2 passing yards and 127.6 rushing yards per game. In terms of sacks, Cincinnati ranks 10th among other defenses. Coming into week 18, they have allowed 23.1 points per game and 382.8 yards.

Browns vs Bengals Trends

  • Through their last three road games, Cleveland has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 22 points per game.
  • Across their ten previous home games, Cincinnati has an ATS mark of 4-6. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 20 points per game.
  • As the betting underdog, the Browns have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Cleveland posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.
  • Over the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Bengals struggled vs the spread going just 1-1-1. However, they still had a straight up mark of 2-1.

Browns vs Bengals Prediction

For the point spread, I’m backing Cleveland at +5. I believe the Cleveland rushing game will take full advantage of the issues in Cincinnati’s defense, which had trouble defending the run in their last game. Make your bet now on Cleveland with +5.

Not only does our model have a projected total of 42 points in this matchup, but the eye test has me feeling this line of 39.5 is low. I like the Browns and Bengals to exceed 39.5 points.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.