Ravens vs. Browns Odds, Picks, and Prediction
Ravens vs. Browns Odds
| Ravens Odds | +3 |
| Browns Odds | -3 |
| Over/Under | 37 |
| Date | Sat, Dec. 17 |
| Time | 4:30 p.m. |
| TV | NFL Network |
In Week 15, NFL Saturday will feature three games, with the mid-afternoon affair featuring the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns battling on the shores of Lake Erie. Entering play, Baltimore is tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for first place in the AFC North division standings, with Cleveland trailing by four games. The Browns remain capable of securing the final Wild Card position in the AFC, but would be mathematically eliminated from the postseason if they lose any of their remaining contests. In this matchup between familiar foes, oddsmakers are expecting a closely-contested affair, pricing the Browns as 3-point home favorites on the spread.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where NFL bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
Baltimore Ravens
Heading into this weekend, it appears increasingly unlikely that starting quarterback Lamar Jackson will be on the field. Backup signal caller Tyler Huntley has not officially been named the starter for Saturday, but he logged a full practice on Wednesday and is trending towards graduating from concussion protocol in-time for kickoff. If Huntley does suit-up, it could lead to a big game for tight end Mark Andrews, who has been targeted 66 times in his last six games with Huntley under center, not counting last week’s game in which Huntley left early due to injury. Baltimore has struggled on the offensive side of the ball in recent weeks, but they are well positioned to exploit a number of Cleveland’s defensive vulnerabilities, which could lead to a good day at the office for the Ravens in this spot.
Defensively, the Ravens will need a much better performance from cornerback Marlon Humphrey than what he put together last Sunday against the Steelers. However, the laundry list of injuries in the Baltimore secondary unit are likely to continue forcing Humphrey to play on the outside instead of the slot, where he has been much more effective in 2022. Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has been forced to put players in sub-optimal positions on the football field as the season has progressed, due to the fact that Kyle Fuller, Jalyn Armour-Davis, and Daryl Worley are each out for the year. Cornerback Brandon Stephens was given an expanded role in Week 12, but allowed seven catches on eight targets in 41 coverage snaps. It is not difficult for bettors to see why this secondary unit ranks 19th in Dropback EPA/play, 24th in opponent yards-per-attempt, 25th in Dropback Success Rate, and 27th in opponent completion percentage this fall. Nevertheless, Baltimore has been strong against opposing ground attacks, which has allowed this group to be competitive on a weekly basis.
Cleveland Browns
“(player-popup #deshaun-watson)Deshaun Watson”:/players/deshaun-watson-36923’s return to the field has hurt Cleveland’s offense tremendously. In his first two games since becoming the starter, the offense has scored one touchdown on 24 drives. His struggles have come primarily in situations that force him to make quick decisions – he is 7-for-19 for 112 passing yards, with two interceptions and no touchdowns when under pressure across the last two weeks, compared to being 31-for-45 for 295 passing yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions when kept clean. His ability to perform at a high level from a clean pocket suggests that he still possesses the elite talent that made him a superstar in 2020, but his struggles in situations that force him to make quick-decisions indicate that he is still getting used to game-speed conditions after nearly two years away from live action.
Aside from Watson experiencing rust, this offense is sorely missing the presence of center Ethan Pocic, who has not played a full game since Week 10. From Week 1 to Week 10, Cleveland ranked 7th in overall offensive EPA/play and 2nd in Rush EPA/play. In Pocic’s absence, the Browns have regressed to 24th in overall offensive EPA/play and 24th in Rush EPA/play. Facing a Baltimore defense that ranks 7th in Rush EPA/play this season, the Browns could once again find it difficult to establish much success on the ground, and Watson’s continued struggles cast doubt as to whether the passing attack will be able to compensate for inefficiencies in the run game.
In addition to issues on offense, Cleveland lost, arguably, their best coverage linebacker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, to a season-ending foot injury in last week’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. In a corresponding move, the Browns activated linebacker Jermaine Carter from the practice squad. Notably, safety John Johnson III did not practice on Wednesday and cornerback Denzel Ward was limited. The absence of either member of the secondary unit could be a big deal, considering the deficiencies on the defensive line and at linebacker. The Browns will also be vulnerable against the Ravens’ strong rushing attack, with defensive tackles Jordan Elliott and Taven Bryan combining to form the worst interior defensive line in the entire NFL.
Ravens vs. Browns – Picks & Predictions
Both times that Baltimore has been a road underdog this season, they have won outright – defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14. In Week 15, the Ravens are in a good position to continue this underdog winning streak if Huntley ends up on the field. Though Baltimore is dealing with a number of injuries, they are still well-positioned to exploit a number of Cleveland’s main defensive vulnerabilities. There are strong arguments to be made that the wrong team is favored here.
PICK: Ravens +3 (-120, DraftKings)
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