The Cleveland Browns (2-8) host the Baltimore Ravens (3-7) at FirstEnergy Stadium this week in a battle between AFC North rivals. The game will begin Monday, Nov 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN.
The Week 5 matchup between the Browns and the Ravens ended in a 33-30 loss for Baltimore. Gary Barnidge had a big performance in that game, totaling eight catches for 139 yards and one TD. Josh McCown had a big day as well, contributing 457 yards and two TDs through the air. Justin Forsett had a great outing, racking up 170 total yards and a TD. He gave the defense problems as both a runner (121 yards) and receiver (49 yards).
Cleveland is favored by a slight one-point margin in its matchup against the Ravens. The matchup currently has a 41-point Over/Under (O/U).
The Browns enter the game with records of 2-8 Straight Up (SU) and 3-6-1 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. In the past five games, Cleveland is 0-5 SU and 0-4-1 ATS. In order to avoid a blowout, the Ravens need to watch out for Cleveland’s stingy coverage. The Browns average the most turnovers with 2.8 per home game.
Moving to the road team, the Ravens have 3-7 SU and 1-7-2 ATS records this season. The Ravens went 2-3 SU and 1-3-1 ATS over the last five games. If Cleveland’s earlier games are any indication, the Ravens should throw the ball often on offense. The Browns allow 268.5 passing yards per game, 26th in the NFL. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the Baltimore defense could excel if they take advantage of favorable matchups. Stopping the run doesn’t have to be Baltimore’s first priority. Cleveland ranks 31st in the league with an average of 75.6 rushing yards per game. The pass rushers on the Ravens could have a solid game this week against the Browns, who are the worst in the league with an average of 3.6 sacks allowed per game. The Ravens generally save their best for last, averaging 9.2 points in the fourth quarter. Baltimore tends to run a lot of plays on the road, averaging 67.8 offensive snaps for fifth-most in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bal, ATS Winner – Bal, O/U – Under
Notes
Cleveland is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cleveland’s last 10 games.
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
Cleveland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Cleveland is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland’s last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland’s last 10 games when playing Baltimore.
Cleveland is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games when playing Baltimore.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland’s last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore.
Baltimore is 0-2 SU this season, when leading at the half. Cleveland is 1-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
This season, Baltimore is only 1-5 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and an even 1-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
The Cleveland defense has forced an average of two turnovers over its last five games. Baltimore is only 2-5 SU this season when turning the ball over at least twice in a game.
The Cleveland passing attack is ranked 12th in the league, while the Baltimore pass defense is only ranked 24th. The Ravens’ passing game is ranked seventh, compared to the 26th-ranked pass defense of the Browns.
Baltimore has given up 25.4 points per contest on the road, which ranks it only 21st in the league. Cleveland has scored 22.8 points per game at home (ranked 16th overall).
