Ravens Unsurprising Favorites As They Host Upstart Browns
Who: Cleveland Browns v. Baltimore Ravens
When: Sunday September 16th, 2017 1:00PM EST
Where: M&T Bank Stadium—Baltimore, Maryland
Both the Browns and the Ravens produced somewhat surprising Week 1 performance, though for entirely different reasons. The Ravens, despite being underdogs, managed put on an impressive offensive and defensive display en route to destroying a Bengals team that many thought would make a run at the post-season.
With regard to the Ravens, their offense was less impressive than their defense, which forced Andy Dalton into 5 turnovers by the time the game came to an end. 4 of those turnovers ended up being an interception, while one was a fumble recovered by a Ravens defense that looks to be one of the best in their division, at least after Week 1. Perhaps even more important than the fact that the Ravens’ win got the season off to a solid start, it also ended a 5-game losing streak extending through the last parts of the 2016/17 season. The one aspect of the Raven’s game where there will still be lingering concerns is Joe Flacco. Compared to the more than 40 pass-attempts he average last year, Flacco did not even pass the ball 20 times last week. With that said, the Ravens managed to win 20-0 anyway, so it’s not exactly like he needed to pass.
As for the Browns, while we would like to say they are the same team we saw last year (and the year before), that much simply is not true. By the time their season opener with Pittsburgh finished, they were defeated by just 3 points, by a scoreline of 21-18. That performance against a team that made it to the AFC Championship game a year ago should give Browns’ fans something to hang their hat on. Whether last week’s performance was a sign of things to come or nothing more than an unusual break from the norm remains to be seen, but if they can play this week like they did last week, they will, once again, put themselves in a decent position to win.
Game Overview and Analysis
When the +8 (-115) Browns (+290) take the field in Baltimore tomorrow, they will know that this is more than just a run of the mill game, it is their second consecutive division matchup. As such, this game will carry a bit more weight than any that might have taken place outside the division as the Browns cannot exactly afford to go 0-2 in divisional play.
Without a doubt, the biggest standout on the Browns’ roster has been rookie SeShone Kizer. Last week, Kier went 20-30 passing with 222 yards and 1 touchdown. For a rookie who was not expected to be anything special, that was a real eye-opening performance for Cleveland fans and coaching staff. Though he did throw one interception, no one is reading too heavily into this seeing as Kizer is, after all, just a rookie. The one thing that must be mentioned is that the Browns did not have that much of a run game last week, as Isaiah Crowell accrued only 33 yards on 17 carries. Look for Cleveland to pound the run a bit more, however there is no saying whether or not it will be any more effective than it was a week ago.
As for the -8 (-105) Ravens (-350), they are entering this game as heavy favorites. This much is a bit curious seeing as Flacco did not look like a starting NFL QB last week. Flacco had just over 120 yards passing on those aforementioned 17 pass attempts, but he still managed to throw an interception, something that has become an increasingly common theme for him. Of course, the Browns’ defense is significantly less of a threat than that of the Bengals’. I think if the Ravens’ offense can click and get into a groove, I think they will win this game with ease and move up to a 2-0 record as well as a 2-0 divisional record.
Betting Prediction
To be honest, and after assessing Flacco’s performance last week, I think a bet on the Browns spread is something you might want to look into. The Browns are +8 point underdogs (-115), and I think this is the better of the two point spread picks. I do not think the Browns are going to win, so I do not think the moneyline is a great pick, but I think they can, once again, keep the game close. After all, if they could be within 3 points of the Steelers, I think they can do the same against the Ravens.
As for the over/under, it is listed by BetOnline at 39 (-110/-110). I honestly think the under might be a good pick in this one. For one, Flacco is not the quarterback he was 3 or 4 years ago, and is not nearly as much of a threat. Add this to the fact that neither team has a solidified run game, and I think the under (-110) is your best bet.