Best bets and game preview for Bengals vs. Browns in Week 7

See how oddsmakers are handicapping this battle of Ohio

WHO	Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns
WHEN	Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET
WHERE	Huntington Bank Field | Cleveland, Ohio
HOW	CBS

The nightmare season for the Cleveland Browns continued this past Sunday. Even after returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown and another quality defensive performance in which the Browns allowed the Eagles to get inside the 20-yard-line only once, the offense continued to hold Cleveland back in a 20-16 road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson, massive contract and baggage in tow, had another awful performance: He went 16 of 23 for 168 yards passing and failed to lead his team into the end zone.

At 1-5, the Browns are quickly fading from playoff contention, with no signs of a turnaround as head coach Kevin Stefanski said the quarterback situation remains unchanged. The Bengals, meanwhile, avoided falling to 1-5 with a 17-7 Week 6 road victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. They had been riding their offense to minimal success, scoring 30 or more points in losses to Washington and Baltimore. 

Cincinnati’s defense has been one of the worst in the NFL, but it finally showed up against the Giants. The Bengals came up with a pair of fourth-down stops while also getting two sacks from Trey Hendrickson. Sunday night marked the first time in five years that the Bengals held an opponent to seven points or fewer. It was a rather lackluster offensive performance, but enough to get the win and breathe some life into Cincinnati’s hopes of getting out of an early hole. 

Here are some of the most recent odds for this AFC North matchup that you can find at some of the top NFL sportsbooks.

Market	FanDuel	DraftKings	BetMGM
Bengals spread	-5.5 (-108)	-5.5 (-115)	-5.5 (-115)
Browns spread	+5.5 (-112)	+5.5 (-108)	+5.5 (-105)
Bengals moneyline	-270	-230	-250
Browns moneyline	+220	+190	+200
Over	Over 41.5 (-112)	Over 41.5 (-108)	Over 41.5 (-110)
Under	Under 41.5 (-108)	Under 41.5 (-112)	Under 41.5 (-110)

Why bet on the Bengals

Cincinnati proved it could shut down an offense, albeit the compromised New York Giants. But why not Cleveland too? The Browns are showing they can make any defense look good.

Watson has yet to throw for more than 200 yards in a game. Even the Jaguars and Commanders, two of the most generous teams in the NFL, figured out a way to keep Cleveland in check. Hendrickson is now up to five sacks for the year. He got to Daniel Jones twice and is capable of devastating a Browns offensive unit which has yielded the most sacks per game at 5.2. 

The Bengals offense, which single handedly put its team in position for wins on multiple occasions, was perhaps due for an off night. Joe Burrow got sacked four times. His 208 yards through the air were the fewest since Week 1. Yet he made enough plays to get the win, a quality all great quarterbacks possess. His 47-yard touchdown run in the first quarter stood up as Cincinnati’s most significant offensive play.  

Burrow has otherwise put together another great statistical season. He is among the top five in passing yardage, passing touchdowns, and completion percentage His top target, Ja’Marr Chase, is second in receiving yards, fourth in yards per game, and tied for first in receiving touchdowns. Those two together can create enough big gains to put the opposition on its heels.

Why to bet on the Browns

It would take a massive effort, but Cleveland’s defense has the talent to control a game. The Browns did so last September for the 2023 season opener. It was a 24-3 win in which Burrow was held to just 82 yards passing and the Bengals managed just six first downs. 

Sunday night was an ugly victory for Cincinnati. It showed that a defense is capable of limiting the Bengals, just as the Browns did 13 months ago. Myles Garrett blocked the Philly field goal try which led to the touchdown return and helped keep his team in the game. He and the rest of the Cleveland defense can keep it close again with another big play or two. 

If there are any positive takeaways from the Browns offense against the Eagles, it did look better in the second half, gaining four or more yards on 50 percent of their first-down plays. Watson threw the ball well in the second half, completing 11 of 12 passes for 122 yards. The Browns entered the red zone twice, but penalties kept them from making up the deficit. 

Part of the Browns’ improvement over the final two quarters in Philadelphia was greater efficiency in running the ball. Outside of a third quarter drive which started at their own seven, the Browns had a 54 percent success rate on running plays. The rushing attack will be fortified more with the return of Nick Chubb from a severe left knee injury. This could help to exploit a Cincinnati weakness, as the Bengals have yielded the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL

Best bet for Bengals vs. Browns: Browns alternate total points Under 17.5 (-110, FanDuel)

The familiarity of division rivals and state foes makes Cincinnati at -5.5 too wide of a spread. The Bengals on the moneyline at or near -250 does not yield a good return on investment. The combined total points line has minus odds on both sides. Dig deeper within FanDuel’s options and find the option to bet on Cleveland’s inability to score. 

Here are Cleveland’s point totals over its first six games: 17, 18, 15, 16, 13, and 16. The Browns have given no reason to believe they will get to 20, even if the special teams unit or defense offers some help. 

The offense is continuously proving that it can’t get out of its own way, either with ineptitude in moving the ball downfield, drive-killing sacks, or drive-altering penalties. Over their past 29 possessions, the Browns have scored only one touchdown. Third-down conversions are another glaring issue for Cleveland: 15-of-78 in this situation for an NFL-worst 19.23%. 

With Watson remaining the choice at QB, it’s difficult to imagine these patterns changing course.