Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs Predictions, Odds & Picks

• The 11-5 Browns finally got to the playoffs last season but were stopped by the Chiefs
• The Chiefs improved the main reason they lost the Super Bowl: their shaky offensive line
• The last time these two played was earlier this year in the playoffs, Chiefs 22, Browns 17

Browns vs Chiefs Odds

Odds taken 1 Sep, 2021 from DraftKings Sportsbook

Browns vs Chiefs Predictions and Picks

With the high level of talent now on this Browns roster plus an upgraded defense, take Cleveland and the points here and expect them to keep it close with these Chiefs.

Our Pick:

Browns +6

How to Watch Browns vs Chiefs

The 11-5 Cleveland Browns finally got to the playoffs last season, but the Kansas City Chiefs stopped them before it got really good and now the Browns are back at Arrowhead with the same offense and a far better defense to seek revenge.

The Kansas City Chiefs have improved the main reason they lost in the Super Bowl last season, and that was their shaky offensive line which failed to allow QB Patrick Mahomes enough time to work his football spinning magic with his playmakers.

Aside from their recent playoff encounter, these two teams hadn’t met since 2018 when the Chiefs took care of the Browns by a score of 22-17 during a season where the 7-8 Browns were happy to win any games at all.

Can the Upgraded Browns Defense Keep Up with the Speedy Chiefs?

Browns GM Andrew Berry might be young at 32 years old, but he is wise for his age and the man figured out in one offseason how to use free agency and the draft to upgrade his oft struggling defense.

Berry did this by adding some veteran help to the Browns secondary (S John Johnson, S Ronnie Harrison) and some veteran beef to his linebacker crew (Anthony Walker, Troy Hill) plus some top-level rookies in CB Greg Newsome and LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

The hope is to not let speedy receivers beat them anymore the way the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill did in the postseason, plus now the Browns might also be able to stop bigger receivers like TE Travis Kelce from dominating them on the field.

Can the Chiefs Establish an Effective Run Game?

Last year Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes led a passing offense that was ranked first in the league, but their rushing attack was a whole other story, with a running back group that was ranked 16th best in the league, something HC Andy Reid hopes to improve.

It’s the Chiefs front line that needed some major changes, which the Kansas City front office did in free agency and by using the draft, with two major pieces snagged there including starting C Creed Humphrey and RG Trey Smith.

Kansas City also scored OT Orlando Brown in an offseason trade with the Baltimore Ravens, so now they are not only set to protect Mahomes, they should also be able to establish a better run game with RBs Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams.

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Browns Key Player: (CB) Denzel Ward

The Cleveland Browns are lucky enough to have Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward on their roster, but the fourth-year player has a tough time staying on the field, playing only in 12 games last season due to injury, the same as the season before that and only one game more (13) in his rookie debut.

Now the young player dubbed ‘The Warden’ needs to focus on his health so that the Browns can count on him as this 17-game, 18-week season progresses, his 7 total interceptions a sign that when healthy he can help shut down opposing pass attacks.

In Week 1, Ward will mostly line up across speedy WR Tyreek Hill, only now he will have (almost) equally fast safety help in Johnson and Ronnie Harrison, so this could force the Chiefs to game plan differently which might help the Browns this time around.

Chiefs Key Player: (RB) Clyde Edwards-Helaire

2020 was Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s rookie season, one that was cut short by a hip and ankle injury in Week 15, although he was still able to show up for the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

When healthy, Edwards-Helaire is tough to tackle, the former LSU star with 181 attempts in his 13-game NFL rookie season for over 800 yards and 4 touchdowns along with 36 receptions for almost 300 more yards and another touchdown.

A run game to balance off Mahomes passing attack is essential to this Chiefs’ offense, and if Edwards-Helaire can stay healthy, his second pro season could outshine his first.

More Games to Watch on Week 1

• Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Minnesota Vikings vs Cincinnati Bengals
• Pittsburgh Steelers vs Buffalo Bills
• Arizona Cardinals vs Tennessee Titans
• Seattle Seahawks vs Indianapolis Colts
• Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots
• Green Bay Packers vs New Orleans Saints
• Chicago Bears vs Los Angeles Rams
• Baltimore Ravens vs Las Vegas Raiders