Raiders vs Browns Odds, Lines, Picks, and Predictions for Monday, December 20
- The Cleveland Browns are 2.5-point home favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday (December 20th, 5 pm ET)
- This game was moved from Saturday to Monday due to the massive COVID outbreak in the Browns organization
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
The Cleveland Browns will host the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday (December 20th), we just don’t know how many of their regulars will be available. Cleveland has been decimated by a COVID outbreak this week, which forced the league to move this game from Saturday to Monday.
24 Browns are currently on the COVID list, including 12 starters. Cleveland has until Monday at 2 pm ET to activate players off the COVID list, and will likely benefit from a new rule the NFL just implemented this weekend. Vaccinated players will now be eligible to return after only one day of negative testing, instead of two.
Raiders vs Browns Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Raiders | +130 | +2.5 (-102) | O 40.5 (-110) |
| Cleveland Browns | -154 | -2.5 (-120) | U 40.5 (-110) |
Odds as of Dec. 18th at FanDuel.
Kickoff on Monday is scheduled for 5 pm ET at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH, with clear skies and 41 degree temperatures projected.
The Browns are currently 2.5-point favorites, but it’s been a wild ride to get to that number. Per the NFL public betting trends, Cleveland opened up favored by 6.5-points last Sunday, but moved all the way to a 3.5-point underdog by Friday morning due to the rash of positive COVID tests. Once the game was moved to Monday the line fell to a pick’em, and has since moved 2.5-points towards Cleveland.
Raiders vs Browns Injury Report
Here’s what we know. Among the Browns on the COVID list are starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and backup Case Keenum. That leaves Nick Mullens in line to make his first start of the season. The 26-year-old was 2-6 in eight starts with San Francisco last season, recording 12 TD and 12 INT.
Mullens actually made his NFL debut versus the Raiders back in 2018, throwing 3 TD while leading San Fran to a 34-3 win on Thursday Night Football.
This Nick Mullens?? https://t.co/mWDM8NOcUE pic.twitter.com/qpHgo0W3Hy
— Pumpkinhead 🎃 (@PumpkinNation) December 18, 2021
Kareem Hunt, Jarvis Landry, Wyatt Teller, Austin Hooper and Jadeveon Clowney are also among the starters on the COVID list, as are all three of Cleveland’s safeties who play heavy snaps.
As for Las Vegas, both stud tight end Darren Waller and starting middle linebacker Denzel Perryman are out.
Cleveland Browns Betting Analysis
The Browns will have Nick Chubb to give the ball to, and honestly that might be enough. Chubb is the 10th highest graded running back in the league per Pro Football Focus, and is as big a home run threat as any RB in the NFL.
Nick Chubb reached 21.95 MPH on this 88-yard TD run, the fastest speed reached on a touchdown this season.
@NickChubb21 sustained 21+ MPH for 44.4 yards, from the Browns 33 yard line to the Ravens 21 yard line.#CLEvsBAL | #Browns pic.twitter.com/AARpBPGS3H
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 29, 2019
Cleveland already runs at the league’s sixth highest rate, and we can expect them to lean even heavier on Chubb in this spot. The Browns rank fourth in rushing yards per game, and fourth in run blocking per PFF, and the matchup versus the Raiders is favorable.
Raiders vs Browns Head-to-Head Results
| Date | Away Team | Home Team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 1, 2020 | Raiders | Browns | Raiders Win (16-6) |
| Sept. 30, 2018 | Browns | Raiders | Raiders Win (45-42) |
| Sept. 27, 2015 | Raiders | Browns | Raiders Win (27-20) |
| Oct. 26, 2014 | Raiders | Browns | Raiders Win (13-3) |
| Dec. 2, 2012 | Browns | Raiders | Browns Win (20-17) |
Las Vegas is allowing 4.4 yards per carry, and has surrendered the sixth most total production to enemy running backs.
Las Vegas Raiders Betting Analysis
The Raiders aren’t dealing with a COVID breakout but they’re still a mess. They’ve dropped five of their last six, scoring 16 points or less in each of those defeats. They’ve been outscored 161-67 during that stretch, and rank 31st in scoring defense.
I want to know…
Do Raider fans believe they can win the division with Derek Carr at QB when Mahomes and Herbert are around for 15 years?
— CJ (@CJE_NFL) December 17, 2021
After a solid start, Derek Carr has come crashing back down to earth. Carr has thrown more than 1 TD pass just once since Week 7, and has only one more touchdown pass (6) than interception (5) over his past six starts.
Raiders vs Browns Pick
Offensively, Las Vegas ranks 25th in net points per drive, while only three defenses yield more yards per drive than the Raiders.
Las Vegas has covered the spread just once in their last six games, and has suffered three losses of at least 19 points in the last five games alone.
Shorthanded or not, the Browns are still the play.
Pick: Cleveland Browns -2.5 (-120)
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As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
