The Cleveland Browns (7-7) will head to meet the Carolina Panthers (5-8-1) looking to snap their three-game losing streak. Though this season hasn’t met expectations for Carolina, the team has shown signs of life in recent weeks, winning two of their last three. Players will take the field Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET and the game will air on CBS.
In last week’s game, Carolina got a close victory over Buccaneers 19-17. Greg Olsen had an outstanding performance in the win, registering 10 catches for 110 yards. Kelvin Benjamin also had a great game with 104 yards on eight receptions. Cleveland didn’t have the same success as Carolina, losing big to Cincinnati 30-0. Craig Robertson led the Cleveland defense, totaling 10 tackles and one interception.
This week’s matchup between the Panthers and the Browns have even odds and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at zero points. Heading into Week 16 of league action, the Panthers are 5-8-1 Straight Up (SU) and 7-7 Against The Spread (ATS). In the past five games, Carolina is 2-3 both SU and ATS. Judging from past Browns games this season, expect to see a heavy dose of the Panthers run game. The Browns currently rank 31st in the NFL with 137.3 rushing yards allowed per game. Recently, Carolina’s run stoppers have wreaked havoc on their opponents. During their last five games, the Panthers gave up 91.6 rushing yards per game. It is critical for the Browns to prepare for Carolina’s big-play defense, which ranks second in the league with 2.1 turnovers per home game. Cleveland should put Carolina away early because the Panthers are one of the top teams at putting points on the board during the fourth quarter. So far this year, they’ve averaged 7.9 fourth-quarter points to close the game out. Penalties aren’t likely to cost Carolina this week’s game. They earn the third-fewest penalties among NFL teams, averaging only 5.2 per game.
Over on the other sideline, the Browns head into Week 16 with records of 7-6-1 ATS and 7-7 SU. In the previous five games, Cleveland has a record of 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS as well. The Browns like to keep the ball on the ground when playing away from home. On average, they run 33.8 times per road game. The Browns look to feast on Carolina’s subpar offense, which averages 18.4 points per home game. Cleveland is a horrifying bunch to opposing offenses. When the Browns are on the road, they give up just 214.5 yards per game through the air, fifth in the league. The Panthers need to hold onto the ball if they want a shot against the turnover-minded Browns. The Cleveland defense generates 1.9 turnovers per game, third in the league. The Browns can take advantage of Carolina’s bad habit of starting the second half cold. They allow an average of 6.3 points during the third quarter of home games, ranking 26th in the NFL. Cleveland has one of the most dynamic offenses on the road. The team averages 70.7 offensive snaps per away game, fifth-most in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, ATS Winner – CLE, O/U – Under
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Cleveland’s last 10 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Carolina’s last 12 games.
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
Carolina is 2-6-1 SU in its last 9 games,.
Cleveland is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games on the road.
Carolina is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina’s last 5 games at home.
Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Carolina is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games at home.
Carolina is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 games at home.
Cleveland is 4-2 SU when leading at the half this season. Carolina is 3-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Cleveland is 5-2 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Carolina is 4-0-1 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Cleveland is an even 3-3 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and only 2-3 SU when losing the turnover battle.
Carolina is 5-0-1 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle this year, and 0-6 SU in games where it loses the turnover battle.
The Cleveland defense has forced an average of 2.4 turnovers over its last five games, but Carolina is 5-3 SU this season when turning the ball over at least 2 times in a game.
The Carolina passing attack is ranked only 17th in the league, while the Cleveland pass defense is ranked seventh. The Browns’ passing game is ranked just 18th, compared to the 12th-ranked pass defense of the Panthers.
The Carolina offensive ground attack is ranked 12th in the league, while the Cleveland rush defense is only ranked 31st. The Browns’ rushing game is ranked 19th, compared to the 20th-ranked run defense of the Panthers.
