Cleveland Browns v Cincinnati Bengals
11:15am Cleveland Browns (2-5) v Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
The Cleveland Browns will try to avoid their fifth consecutive loss when they host the surging Cincinnati Bengals to complete week eight of NFL action.
The Browns keep losing close games and at 2-5 this season they can’t afford to lose this one to their AFC North division rival.
Cleveland’s quarterback Jacoby Brissett is coming off one of the better games of his chequered career but has thrown just two touchdowns and four interceptions over his past four outings.
Coach Kevin Stefanski has the Browns ranked third in the NFL in rushing offence and will look to emphasise that strength against a team that hasn’t been great defending the run.
Meanwhile the Cincinnati Bengals are starting to show the form that took them all the way to the Super Bowl last year.
Last week they dominated a poor Falcons defence to race out to a 21 point lead. Their offensive line has been a weakness at times this season but Joe Burrow mitigated that by throwing the ball quickly and accurately. He’s an elite quarterback with a combination of talent, competitiveness and leadership that you can build a team around.
Losing superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to injury is a big blow to the Bengals but they do have slot receiver Tyler Boyd coming off a career-best 155 receiving yards. Coach Zac Taylor may need to lean more on their running game and in particular Joe Mixon. He’ll face a Browns defence that has been historically poor – no defence this century has allowed 0.1 Expected Points Added per rush yet the Browns have the unwanted record of 0.124 EPA/rush so far this season which is more than twice as bad as the second-worst team.
The Bengals look the more likely winner but it’s not easy task to lay more than a field goal on the road in a divisional prime-time Halloween night game against a desperate opponent that has been very competitive in almost every game.
The better play looks to be the under. It is –
7-2 in their last nine meetings in Cleveland
8-0 in Bengals last eight against AFC opponents
8-3 in Bengals last 11 against a team with a losing record
20-6 in Bengals last 26 road games against a team with a losing home record.
Bet: Under 45.5
Same game multi: Under 45.5 / Joe Mixon 60+ rushing yards / Over 2.5 field goals at $5
