Hoping to extend their undefeated record, the Denver Broncos (5-0) travel to take on the Cleveland Browns (2-3). Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct 18 and will air on CBS.
In last week’s game, Cleveland snuck out a close one against the Ravens 33-30. Gary Barnidge had a great game in the victory, grabbing eight receptions for 139 yards and one TD. Josh McCown had a great game as well, adding 457 yards and two TDs through the air. Denver also won last week, defeating the Raiders 16-10. Chris Harris Jr. led the defensive effort for Denver, recording three tackles and one interception. Emmanuel Sanders also had a great game with 111 yards on nine catches.
Denver is a four-point favorite in this game against the Browns. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently at 42 points.
Even with a subpar Straight Up (SU) record of 2-3, the Browns play better than expected, going 3-2 Against The Spread (ATS) so far this year. Concentration could be a key factor in this week’s game. The Browns hope to profit on Denver’s mental lapses, which contribute to 94 penalty yards per road game.
Shifting to the opposition, the Broncos head into Week 6 with records of 4-1 ATS and 5-0 SU. The Denver defense has given opposing running backs trouble this season. Opponents average 84.6 rushing yards per game against this intimidating group. The Broncos have been outplaying their opponents’ offensive lines this year. Denver’s defense leads the league with an average of 4.2 sacks per game. The Broncos will look to start the second half strong against a Cleveland defense that allows an average of 6.8 points in the third quarter, one of the worst marks in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – Den, ATS Winner – Den, O/U – Under
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland’s last 5 games.
Cleveland is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland’s last 8 games at home.
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Cleveland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Denver.
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Denver.
Denver is 4-0 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Cleveland is 1-0 SU when leading after three quarters.
Cleveland has induced an average of 8.6 penalties on opponents this season, but Denver is a perfect 4-0 SU when penalized at least eight times in a game.
Denver is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 30th-ranked rushing attack will face the 31st-ranked run defense of Cleveland, while its fifth-ranked run defense will look to contain the 28th-ranked rushing game of the Browns.
