Browns vs. Colts Prediction
Will the Cleveland Browns somehow pull off a win and cover as a road favorite when it takes on the Indianapolis Colts today at 1PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Cleveland is the slight favorite on the road, as the Browns are getting odds of -1.5 points against the Colts. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 42.5 points. The Colts have won seven of their last eight meetings with the Browns, while Cleveland is 3-1-1 against the spread in the last five meetings. Today’s game takes place from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana and will air live on CBS.
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The Colts are 0-2 on the season and 1-1 against the spread, covering as a home underdog last week against the Cardinals. Indy has been without Andrew Luck thus far into the season and the offense is struggling, averaging just 11 points and 273 yards per game. Jacoby Brissett took over the starting job last week and he has thrown for 267 yards while completing 55 percent of his passes. Jack Doyle has caught 10 passes for 120 yards while Frank Gore has rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Colts are giving up 31 points and 398 yards per game thus far, including 325 passing yards per game.
Cleveland is 0-2 on the season due to losses to the Steelers and Ravens. The Browns are 1-1 against the spread, failing to cover in their trip to Baltimore last week. Cleveland is struggling on offense thus far, averaging just 14 points and 336 yards per game. DeShone Kizer has thrown for 404 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions in his rookie season. Isaiah Crowell is the leading rusher with just 70 yards on 27 carries. The team has lost Corey Coleman until November due to a broken hand. Coleman was expected to have a breakout season at receiver in 2017. On defense, Cleveland is allowing 22.5 points and 325.5 yards per game. The unit has yet to see Myles Garrett in action as the No. 1 pick is recovering from an ankle injury and will be out today as well.
Can the Browns possibly cover as a road favorite? That seems too crazy to believe. It’s been such a rare occurrence for the Browns to be favored on the road. Since 2003, it’s only occurred nine times. However, Cleveland is a surprising 6-2-1 against the spread in those nine games. The Browns have looked competitive but I don’t know that Kizer can consistently lead this offense down the field. The Colts have looked much better with Brissett under center and he should only get better without another week with the team under his belt. Indianapolis should take being a home underdog to the Browns personal. I expect a motivated effort today, leading Indy to the win.
NFL WEEK 3 PREDICTION: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS +1.5