Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals Predictions, Odds, Picks

• Given the talent of the Cleveland Browns, their 4-4 team record seems weak
• The 5-3 Bengals just allowed the paltry Jets to beat them in the fourth quarter
• Each of the last four games between AFC North teams were won by the underdogs

Browns vs Bengals Week 9 Odds

Week 9 Browns vs Bengals odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook

Given the talent of the Cleveland Browns, their 4-4 team record seems weak, but head coach Kevin Stefanski’s roster has been struck hard by injuries and has suffered from inconsistent play on both sides of the ball, but quarterback Baker Mayfield still thinks his team is playoff-worthy as he continues to start despite a broken bone in his non-throwing shoulder.

This is a whole new Cincinnati Bengals team, the 5-3 franchise tied atop the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens yet somehow they just allowed the paltry Jets to beat them in the fourth quarter, so now Bengals QB Joe Burrow’s Bengals and his productive targets Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, and TE C.J. Uzomah look to get back to their winning ways starting with Cleveland.

These two AFC North rivals have played each other 95 previous times, with the Cincinnati Bengals winning 51 of those games and the Cleveland Browns winning 44 of the games.

Browns vs Bengals Week 9 Predictions

Can Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski Create a Solid Game Plan?

Given all the injuries to the Browns starters, including to running back Kareem Hunt (calf), right tackle Jack Conklin (elbow), linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (ankle), and wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (groin), creating a working game plan for Sunday can’t be all that easy.

But that job is entirely doable for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski who earned the NFL Coach of the Year honors last season, and thankfully his roster is as deep as his knowledge of the game so expect him to find the perfect balance for his injured Browns.

Include plenty of running plays interspersed with ones that allow QB Mayfield to get rid of the ball quickly – screen passes and rollouts that target open receivers 5-10 yards out – and whatever else that might surprise this young Bengals 17th ranked defense who are gradually starting to gel.

Can Bengals Defense Stop the Run?

The Cincinnati Bengals are ranked 7th in the league against the run after allowing opponents to gain 94.4 yards on the ground per game, a tough squad that will have its hands full against a Brown’s rushing attack that’s right now the most productive in the league.

The Bengals linebacking crew is made up of Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, Markus Bailey, and Akeem Davis-Gaither, their job this week to stop tough to tackle running back Nick Chubb and his backup D’Ernest Johnson, two parts to this Cleveland running group that averages over 160 yards per game.

Upfront Cincinnati has defensive ends Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson who are fast becoming feared quarterback hunters, right now with 11.5 sacks between them, a factor for injured Browns QB Baker Mayfield to keep in mind.

Browns Key Player: (QB) Baker Mayfield

There are plenty of questions surrounding Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield when he is healthy (too short, chokes in big moments, too emotional), but now that he is injured lots of doubters and haters are predicting his gradual demise.

Mayfield has an entirely different idea of how his season will progress, and the torn labrum and broken bone in his non-throwing shoulder will not dictate whether he can take his team back to the postseason in January, something he did last year and plans to do again.

Right now injuries to his starting players plus inconsistent play from his wide receivers including Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry have kept his offense from its potential and that must shift course ASAP if this team expects to compete against Cincinnati and again in the playoffs.

Bengals Key Player: (WR) Ja’Marr Chase

One of the many bright spots on Cincinnati’s offense is their rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, the 6’ 1” 200-pound speedster who used to line up at LSU with quarterback Joe Burrow, his current football hurler of choice.

Right now Burrow-to-Chase leads the league in yards per reception (20.7) after Ja’Marr has caught 38 balls off 59 targets for 786 yards and 7 touchdowns, production that these two seem destined to create for the next decade or so.

Chase has had one 2-score game in Week 3 and has only had two games out of eight where he has not made a visit to the end zone, scoring in three of his last outings while stretching out defenses in the meantime, a playmaker worth watching against this talented Browns secondary.

How to Watch Browns vs Bengals Week 9