Browns Still Given +600 Odds to Win AFC North After 3-1 Start – Is There Any Value?
- The 3-1 Cleveland Browns are listed at +600 odds to win the AFC North Division title
- Cleveland hasn’t won a division title since capturing the AFC Central crown in 1989
- The Browns are two games over .500 for the first time since Nov. 30, 2014
East is east and west is west and in the AFC North, Cleveland Browns seasons are just expected to go south.
This year, though, there’s something going on in the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Browns are rocking and rolling.
Cleveland has won three straight games. The Browns are 3-1 on the season, just a half-game out of top spot in the AFC North.
Dare Cleveland fans dreams that a division title could be a reality for the team? Well, if they do, the price is certainly right.
The Browns are currently being given a +600 betting line in the AFC North odds.
Odds to Win AFC North
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | -190 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +210 |
| Cleveland Browns | +600 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +11000 |
Odds as of Oct. 4th at FanDuel.
Cleveland most recently won a division title in 1989.
Been Awhile For Browns
The last time the Browns sat with two more wins than losses, Barack Obama was in the middle of his second term in the White House. Nobody had heard of COVID-19 and the notion of Donald Trump running for the Presidency would’ve been met with hearty guffaws.
That was following a 26-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills that left the Browns at 7-5 on the 2014 NFL season. Mike Pettine was Cleveland’s coach that season. Brian Hoyer began the season as the Browns’ starting quarterback, though he’d give way to Johnny Manziel later in the year as Cleveland stumbled to a 7-9 finish.
There are 30 year olds out there that have never seen anything like this. #Browns
— Tony Rizzo (@TheRealTRizzo) October 4, 2020
Cleveland’s last playoff appearance was in 2002. The Browns lost an AFC Wildcard game to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s been so long since there was a divisional title celebrated in Cleveland, the Browns actually played in a different division. In 1989, Cleveland went 9-6-1, capturing the AFC Central Division crown. It was so long ago that the Browns clinched the title via a win over the Houston Oilers.
Cleveland lost the AFC Championship Game that season 37-21 to the Denver Broncos.
Are The Browns For Real?
Cleveland is 3-1 to start a season for the first time since 2001. The Browns took advantage of a dreadful Dallas Cowboys defense to put up 49 points. They required almost every one of those points in a 49-38 victory.
Even the dubs are bigger in Texas. pic.twitter.com/8ZWJYgZsYq
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 4, 2020
While Odell Beckham Jr scored three touchdowns for Cleveland, it’s also worth noting that Cowboys QB Dak Prescott lit up the Browns for 502 yards through the air.
New Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski threw some trickery at the Cowboys. Beckham scored on a 50-yard reverse. He also caught a 37-yard TD pass from fellow receiver Jarvis Landry.
Chubb Injury Dampens Delight
As happy as the Browns are to be 3-1, Sunday wasn’t all joy and delight. Running back Nick Chubb went down with an apparent knee injury.
The severity of his injury is likely to be determined through an MRI scheduled for Monday. Chubb ran for 1,494 yards last season, good for second in the NFL.
The Browns rushed for 307 yards against the Cowboys, the most rush yards allowed by the Cowboys in a game in franchise history.
The Cowboys fall to 1-3 which is their worst record through 4 games since 2010, when they finished 6-10. pic.twitter.com/nZ9F9q2LsC
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 4, 2020
The Browns didn’t miss a beat without him on Sunday, though, rushing for 307 yards. D’Ernest Johnson rambled for 95 yards.
Former NFL rushing champ Kareem Hunt ran for 71 yards and two TDs. Beckham accounted for 73 yards on the ground.
Tough Sledding In AFC North
As great as the Browns must feel to be off to such a good start, the fact of the matter is they are just one of three solid squads in the AFC North.
The only thing that’s stopped 3-0 Pittsburgh is the COVID-19 outbreak amongst the Tennessee Titans that scuttled their game on Sunday. The lone loss suffered by the defending division champion Baltimore Ravens was to the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
WOW
WOW
WOWHat trick @obj! 🎩🎩🎩
📺: @foxsports pic.twitter.com/czMPjIpuS8
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 4, 2020
Baltimore blasted Cleveland 38-6 in Week 1. Cleveland’s other wins were against Washington and Cincinnati. The three opponents to lose to the Browns are a combined 3-8-1.
According to SDB’s NFL SOS, Cleveland has the easiest schedule in the NFL. That should help the Browns to a winning season, perhaps even an AFC Wildcard position.
If you’re looking to find value to topple the Ravens and win the division, the Steelers are the better bet.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
