The Cleveland Browns will try to continue their dominance of their in-state rivals when they host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. The Browns (2-5) have lost four straight games, but they have won four in a row and seven of the past eight in this AFC North rivalry. The Bengals (4-3) have won four of their past five, with their only setback during that span a 19-17 loss to the Ravens in Week 5. The Browns (2-5) lost 23-20 to the Ravens in Week 7, while Joe Burrow torched the Falcons for 481 passing yards in a 35-17 Bengals victory last Sunday. Cincinnati leads the all-time series 51-46 but has not won in Cleveland since 2017. Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase is out with a hip injury.
Kickoff in Cleveland is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Cincinnati as the 3-point favorite in the latest Browns vs. Bengals odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 45. Before you lock in any Bengals vs. Browns picks or NFL predictions, you should see what SportsLine football expert Emory Hunt has to say.Â
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from a player’s perspective.
In addition, he has his finger on the pulse of the Browns. He is 11-4 on his past 15 picks involving Cleveland, returning $670 for $100 bettors.
Now, Hunt has broken down the Bengals vs. Browns Monday Night Football matchup from every angle and just released his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his MNF picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Browns vs. Bengals:
- Browns vs. Bengals spread: Cincinnati -3Â
- Browns vs. Bengals over/under: 45Â
- Browns vs. Bengals money line: Cincinnati -165, Cleveland +140Â
- CIN: Three of their four victories were by at least 12 pointsÂ
- CLE: Four of their five losses were by three points or fewerÂ
- Browns vs. Bengals picks: See picks here
Featured Game | Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Why the Bengals can cover
Cincinnati is reeling from the news that star receiver Ja’Marr Chase could miss six weeks with a hip injury, but Burrow still has talent at his disposal. Tyler Boyd led the team with 166 receiving yards last week and running back Joe Mixon has 587 total yards. Mixon could see more work Monday against a Cleveland defense that ranks 24th against the run, or the Bengals could aim to strike quickly to neutralize Cleveland’s run game. The Browns allow almost 27 points per game (29th in NFL). Burrow is 24-13 ATS in his career, and Cincinnati is 8-1 ATS in its past nine road games.
The Bengals are 13-2 against the spread in their past 15 overall. Their defense allows fewer than 19 points per game, seventh in the league, and is ninth against the pass, yielding 202 yards per contest. The Browns threw for fewer than 100 yards against Baltimore and average 214 passing yards (22nd), so Cincinnati can stack up against the run. Cleveland also has given the ball away 10 times. Burrow has thrown five interceptions, but four came in the season-opener. Cincinnati is 10-1 ATS in its past 11 conference games, while the Browns are on a 4-13 ATS slide in AFC North matchups. See which team to pick here.
Why the Browns can cover
Cleveland won the last meeting 21-16, a Week 18 matchup that saw the Bengals resting their starters for the playoffs and the Browns playing out the string. The Browns dominated the matchup in Cincinnati in Week 9, with running back Nick Chubb going off for 137 yards on 14 carries. The fifth-year back out of Georgia leads the NFL in both rushing yards (470 yards) and rushing TDs (eight) and averages 5.9 yards per carry. He faces a defense that ranks 18th in the NFL against the run (119 yards per game), while Cleveland averages 163 per game (fourth).
The underdog is 5-0 against the spread in the past five matchups and Burrow is 0-3 straight-up against the Browns in his career. He was sacked five times and threw two interceptions in his Week 9 start and has been sacked 24 times in the first seven games. Myles Garrett is banged up but expected to play, and he has three sacks over the past two games. Underdogs have been covering at a 58-percent clip in the NFL this season, going 61-44-2 through the first seven weeks. See which team to pick here.
How to make Browns vs. Bengals picks
Hunt has scrutinized Browns vs. Bengals matchup and revealed his pick. He is leaning Over the point total and also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He’s sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins Bengals vs. Browns on Monday Night Football? And what critical X-factor makes one side a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bengals vs. Browns spread you should be all over for Monday’s rivalry matchup, all from the expert who’s 11-4 on picks involving Cleveland, and find out.
