Upcoming Match-ups

Ravens vs Browns Monday Night Football Odds, Lines, and Spread

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in NFL Football

Updated Dec 14, 2020 · 9:32 AM PST

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talking with quarterback Baker Mayfield on the sidelines during a game.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, right, talks with quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) in the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
  • The Baltimore Ravens will visit the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium for Monday Night Football.
  • MNF Picks Record: 1-4 ATS; 3-5 O/U; -5.9 Units.
  • The Ravens are allowing 4.9 yards-per-carry on the road this season.

The Baltimore Ravens will visit the Cleveland Browns for Monday Night Football in Week 14. The two teams met in Week 1 of the season and the Ravens won in a laugher, stomping the Browns 38-6. Much has changed for both of these teams since that first contest in Baltimore.

The Ravens are the 3-point favorite heading into the game. What’s the best bet for the rematch in Cleveland?

Ravens vs Browns Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Baltimore Ravens -158 -3.0 (-104) Ov 46.5 (-114)
Cleveland Browns +134 +3.0 (-118) Un 46.5 (-106)

All odds as of December 5 at FanDuel

Ravens Are Scuffling Heading Into Week 14

The Ravens head into Week 14 off a win but it’s just their second in six games. It’s become quite clear that this isn’t anywhere near the same team that went 14-2 last season. Baltimore beat up on the Dallas Cowboys last Tuesday, winning 34-17. However, the fact that they trailed or that the 3-9 Cowboys were ever in the game (early) was a bit concerning.

The good news for the Ravens is they managed to score 34 points last week, which was the most they scored since their Week 1 win over Cleveland. The bad news is they did so despite another shaky passing effort from quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jackson, who is the reigning league MVP, has been performing nowhere near last year’s levels. Tuesday’s win marked the seventh time in his last nine starts that he’s thrown for 193 yards or less. He accounted for 43 touchdowns in 15 games last season; he’s currently on pace for 30 this season – and that’s if he plays all 16 games.

While the running game still works just fine – the Ravens lead the NFL in rushing yards per game (169.0) – the offense is just much easier to bottle up when the threat of the pass is minimal. That’s why they’re scoring just 22.8 per game over their last six.

Browns Are On A Roll

While the Browns don’t get much attention in the press, they have been quietly piling up the wins. Sure, a lot of them have been against bad teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys, but keep in mind that this Browns teams of old would have blown plenty of these winnable games.

For the Browns, it starts with quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has turned his season around. After throwing just 10 touchdowns and six picks in his first six games, he’s thrown 11 touchdowns and no interceptions over his last six.

Mayfield is getting great help from the league’s second-ranked rush offense. Running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt have formed a formidable tandem and that allows the Browns to run a lot of play-action passes. Once they get the lead, they pound away on the ground.

There are some concerns on defense as the Browns ranks 22nd in points-per-game allowed at 26.8 and are 23rd in third-down conversion percentage allowed. Overall, though, this has become a smart, disciplined team that shows up to play each week. They’re going to be out to prove that their Week 1 blowout loss was an aberration.

What’s The Best Bet?

The Ravens are favored here and the sharp money has been all over them. The line opened up at -1 and they’ve been pushed up to -3. However, this might not make a ton of sense. The Ravens defense allows 4.4 yards-per-carry and that number jumps to 4.9 on the road. Only five other teams have a worse away mark.

The Browns are the better of the two teams here and it’s unclear why the Ravens are getting so much love. Look for Cleveland to put forth a much better effort than in Week 1 and to at least push for a cover, if not the win.

Prediction: Browns +3

Author Image