Browns vs. Texans Prediction
Can bettors actually trust the winless Browns to cover the spread versus the Texans today at 1:00PM ET?
The Odds: According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Texans are 9.5-point home favorites versus the Browns, who opened as 10.5-point underdogs. As for the total, the number hit the board at 44 but has been bet up to 47 at the majority of online sports books.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns are just 5-17-1 against the spread in their last 23 games versus conference opponents, are 0-5-1 against the number in their last six road games, and are 1-7 at the betting window in their last eight games versus a team with a losing record. They’re also 5-23 against the spread in their last 28 games following a loss and are 6-24-1 against the number in their last 31 games.
Houston Texans: The Texans are just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven home games, are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games when facing an opponent with a losing record and are 2-6-1 at the betting window in their last nine games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. Still, they’re 4-1 against the spread in their last five games following a loss. As of this writing, 61% of public bettors are backing the Texans today at the betting window.
WHO COVERS: Kevin Hogan should give the Browns a short-term boost. He’s not a long-term answer, but he should be able to move the ball better than rookie DeShone Kizer, who has a great arm and is athletic, but who struggles to make quick decisions. Houston, meanwhile, is dealing with a slew of injuries. J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus are out for the season, while Will Fuller and Benardrick McKinney are questionable. If the Texans were at full strength, they should win and cover easily. But given the injury problems facing Houston, I’ll roll the dice on a crap Cleveland team getting the points. (For a statistical breakdown of this matchup, click here.)
NFL WEEK 6 PREDICTIONS: CLEVELAND BROWNS +9.5