Jets vs Browns Matchup Odds: Cleveland Large Favorites
New York Visits Cleveland to Start New Week
Week 17 of the NFL schedule begins Thursday, when the New York Jets (6-9) visit the Cleveland Browns (10-5). The Jets are coming into the game off a rare victory, while the Browns have won three straight games and are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. The Jets vs Browns matchup odds have Cleveland favored by 7.5 points (-105) and the total on the game is 36.5.
New York Jets vs Cleveland Browns 
Day/Time:
Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Line: Cleveland -7.5 (-105)
Total: 36.5
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Jets Nearly Blow Another One
After watching a 20-0 lead disappear, the Jets defeated Washington 30-28 Sunday on Greg Zuerlein’s 54-yard field goal. It was the Jets’ second victory in three games, so New York isn’t going down without a fight.
The Jets are 2-0 straight-up as NFL favorites, but 0-1-1 ATS when in the rare favorite role. That’s not going to be the case in this one, however. The Jets are 0-5 straight-up and just 1-4 against the NFL betting lines when an underdog of 7 or more points this NFL season.
Trevor Siemian started at quarterback for the Jets and wasn’t great. But he was good enough to get the win. He deserves the start here for a New York team that is averaging just 15.4 points on the season.
The Jets haven’t run the ball as much as they should. New York’s running game isn’t bad, averaging 4.2 yards per carry against teams that allow 4.2 yards per carry. The Jets average just 173.1 passing yards per game and 4.8 yards per pass attempt.
The New York offense has overshadowed the defense, which has played pretty well for the most part. The Jets are -8 in turnovers for the year, which doesn’t make it easier.
New York allows 21 points per game to teams averaging 23.1 points. The Jets are limiting the opposition to 168.6 passing yards per game and 5.5 yards per pass attempt. The New York Jets allow 126.2 rushing yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry.
Browns Quietly Reach 10 Victories
The Cleveland Browns don’t get a lot of attention, but the NFL standings show the team with 10 victories. Only five teams have won more games than the Browns. Cleveland is scoring 23 points per game against teams allowing 21.6 points.
The Browns run the ball 31.1 times per game, although they’re not particularly good at it. Cleveland is averaging 3.8 yards per rush against teams that allow 4.3 yards per carry.
Joe Flacco has done a solid job after being inserted into the line-up. He threw for 368 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, helping Amari Cooper record a franchise-best 265 receiving yards. The Browns are averaging 29 points per game over the past three weeks.
Cleveland’s pass defense is fantastic, allowing just 160.1 yards per game and 5.2 yards per pass attempt. The run defense is pretty solid, allowing 4.1 yards to NFL teams averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
What to Expect
It’s going to be tough for the Jets to move the ball. Cleveland’s pass defense is tough, so New York should look to keep the ball on the ground. It’s a little easier to run against Cleveland than it is to throw against them.
The Jets’ passing game doesn’t strike much fear into opponents to begin with.
The Browns will probably test the New York run defense first. The Jets are also pretty hard to throw against. Even though Cleveland doesn’t run the ball too well, that will likely be the first plan of attack to try and keep pressure off Flacco.
Who to Bet On?
The Jets vs Browns matchup odds on the point spread are a little tough to predict. The past four games have seen the Jets score 30 points twice, along with 8 points and no points in the other two games.
But Cleveland is capable of playing tough defense, so it’s more likely New York is closer to 8 points than 30. The Browns have only been favored by 7 points once this season, but they defeated Arizona by 27 points.
The Jets vs Browns matchup odds on the total are a little tricky. The total of 36.5 is certainly on the low side. But totals of 36.5 and lower are just 4-11-1 this season.
So the games with the real low totals have managed to sneak under the number. That could very well be the case here. It’s not easy to go under such a low number, but that looks to be the best wager on this game.
For NFL betting news, NFL stat leaders, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
