Baltimore Ravens (8-3) vs Cleveland Browns (4-7) NFL Betting Preview
It has been quite a while since Art Modell took the Browns to Baltimore, but Cleveland still hates the Baltimore Ravens. This was a rivalry from the day Cleveland got a pro football team once again.
The Ravens are 8-3 this year, but all three of their losses have come as at least 5.5 point favorites. Can they avoid a letdown against the Browns this weekend?
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Ravens vs. Browns
Time/Date: 4:05 PM EST, December 4, 2011
Venue: Cleveland Browns Stadium
Broadcast: CBS
Ravens vs. Browns Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
Spread: Ravens -6.5
Moneyline: Ravens (-275) Browns (+235)
Over/Under: 38.5
Baltimore has an impressive list of teams they have beaten so far this year. The Ravens have taken down the Steelers twice, the 49ers, the Jets, the Texans, and the Bengals. It has been the Jaguars, Titans, and Seahawks who have beaten the Ravens. Baltimore has showed up for all of their big games, but they have consistently played down to their level of competition this year and it has caught up with them a few times.
Joe Flacco has had some great moments this year, but he has been pretty inconsistent at the quarterback spot. Ray Rice leads the team in both rushing yards and receptions. Rice is one of the most versatile players in the league, and the Ravens need to get him the ball more often. The Ravens offense averages 24.7 points per game.
Baltimore’s defense has been stellar this season. Ray Lewis has missed the last couple games with a toe injury, and he is listed as questionable for this one. Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs have been excellent for this unit. Ed Reed may have lost a step, but he is still a great safety. Baltimore’s defense has flourished at forcing turnovers this year. Opponents are scoring just 16.5 points per game on this defense. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Cleveland has struggled in a big way on offense this year. This team is simply lacking play makers on this side of the ball. Colt McCoy has improved in his second season under center for the team, but he doesn’t have enough play makers around him. Peyton Hillis is healthy again, and it should certainly help to have him back in the lineup.
The Browns lack a consistent wide receiver, and this unit has had far too many drops this year. The team has tried to work Josh Cribbs into the offense a little bit, but that has largely been unsuccessful. The Browns are averaging only 15 points per contest.
As bad as the Cleveland offense has been, the defense has done a lot of good things this year. This is a terrific young secondary. In fact, the Browns rank first in the NFL in pass defense. Joe Haden is already a star in only his second year in the league. Phil Taylor has provided a nice boost on the defensive line. Injuries have really slowed the linebacker group, and that has allowed opponents to run the ball quite well against this defense. Cleveland ranks sixth in the NFL in total defense.
Baltimore realizes that they can’t afford another letdown, and I don’t think it will happen against a rival like the Browns. Baltimore is better on both sides of the ball. Look for Ray Rice to have a big game here.
Free NFL Pick: Ravens -6.5
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