Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals Betting Pick & Prediction 12/22/24

The Bengals are favored at -331 on the money line as they host the Browns at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 22nd at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The Browns are +262 on the money line, and the point spread has the Bengals favored by -7 points. The over/under line is set at 48 points for this AFC North matchup, which is being televised on CBS.

CLEVELAND BROWNS VS CINCINNATI BENGALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cleveland Browns +7

This game will be played at Paycor Stadium at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 22nd.

WHY BET THE CLEVELAND BROWNS:

• We have the Browns winning this one by a score of 32 to 24
• Not only do we have the Browns winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +7
• Look for this game to go over the line of 48 points

Will The Browns Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs

With a 3-11 record, the Browns sit 4th in the AFC North and 25th in our power rankings. They’ve lost three straight, including a 21-7 defeat to the Chiefs in week 15. Cleveland was a 4-point underdog in that game but couldn’t cover the spread, and they are now 4-10 ATS this season.

Our projections give the Browns a 0.0% chance of making the playoffs. Their O/U record is 6-8, with the under hitting in two consecutive games.

Heading into week 16, the Browns rank 31st in our offensive power rankings, averaging 17.1 points per game (27th in the NFL) and 309.6 yards per game (22nd). Despite leading the league in passing attempts, they are 17th in passing yards per game, with 217.5. On the ground, Cleveland ranks 25th in rushing attempts and 27th in rushing yards, averaging 92.1 per game. They have struggled on third down, converting just 28.6% of their attempts, which ranks 30th in the league, but they lead the NFL in red zone conversion percentage at 64.3%.

Jameis Winston threw for 146 yards and 3 interceptions in week 15 against the Chiefs, after passing for 212 yards in week 14 and 497 yards in week 13. Jerry Jeudy had 11 catches for 108 yards in week 15, while Jerome Ford led the team with 84 rushing yards on 7 carries. Cleveland was shut out in the first half against Kansas City, scoring their only points with a 7-point third quarter.

In their 21-7 loss to the Chiefs, the Browns’ defense allowed two passing touchdowns and held Kansas City to 179 yards passing. However, they struggled to stop the run, giving up 132 yards on 35 attempts. Cleveland’s defense didn’t record any sacks in the game and allowed the Chiefs to convert on 38.9% of their third down attempts.

The Browns’ defense limited the Chiefs to 4.5 yards per pass attempt and 311 total yards. Despite this, they couldn’t generate enough pressure, as they failed to record any sacks and allowed the Chiefs to control the game on the ground.

Are The Bengals Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?

With two straight wins, the Bengals now sit at 6-8, putting them 3rd in the AFC North. After a week 13 loss to the Steelers, Cincinnati bounced back with road wins over the Cowboys (27-20) and Titans (37-27). They were favored in both games, covering the spread each time, including a 10-point win over Tennessee as 6-point favorites.

Heading into week 16, the Bengals have a +0.9 scoring margin and are 8-6 against the spread. Their O/U record is 10-4, with their games averaging 56.1 points. Cincinnati is 17th in our power rankings and has a 6% chance of making the playoffs.

Joe Burrow has been on a roll, throwing for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns in week 15 against the Titans, following a 369-yard, 3-touchdown performance in week 14 and 309 yards with 3 touchdowns in week 13. In his last game, he completed 26 of 37 passes but had 2 interceptions. Ja’Marr Chase had 9 catches for 94 yards in week 15, after a 177-yard, 2-touchdown game in week 14. Chase Brown rushed for 97 yards on 25 carries in week 15.

Heading into week 16, the Bengals rank 5th in the NFL in points per game (28.5) and lead the league in passing yards per game with 271.4. They are 4th in 3rd-down conversions, with a rate of 47.5%, but rank 24th in red zone conversion percentage. Cincinnati is 6th in our offensive power rankings.

In the Bengals’ 37-27 win over the Titans, their defense came up with four interceptions despite allowing 291 passing yards. Tennessee completed 76.3% of their passes and converted 62.5% of their third down attempts. Cincinnati’s run defense was solid, allowing just 83 yards on 26 attempts (3.2 yards per attempt). They also forced one sack and had four tackles for loss.

The Bengals’ secondary gave up two passing touchdowns in the game. Even though they allowed some big plays through the air, the four interceptions were crucial in helping secure the win.