NFL MVP Frontrunner Lamar Jackson Keying Ravens Super Bowl Push
Browns vs Ravens Best Bets: Baltimore Favored by 6.5 at Home
The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns renew their rivalry Sunday (1 p.m. ET) at M&T Bank Stadium.
Winners of four straight, the Ravens are 6.5-point favorites (-110) and -285 on the moneyline. Meanwhile, the Browns are +6.5 (-110) on the NFL betting lines and +240 to win outright. The total is 38 (-110 Over, -110 Under).
Read on as we break down both teams, assess the odds, and deliver our Browns vs Ravens best bets.
Cleveland Browns vs Baltimore Ravens 
Day/Time: Location: M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore
Streaming: Fox
Browns vs Ravens Betting Trends
The Cleveland Browns are 4-3-1 against the spread but 0-2-1 away from home. They’ve gone Over the total in all three road games. The Baltimore Ravens, meanwhile, are 6-3 ATS, including 3-1 at home. The total has gone Under in five of Baltimore’s last seven games. That’s important to remember when assessing our Browns vs Ravens best bets.
Climbing the Ranks
The Baltimore Ravens are a legitimate threat to win Super Bowl LVIII. There’s no question. After pounding the Seattle Seahawks 37-3 in Week 9 as 6-point favorites, the Ravens are sitting atop the AFC North at 7-2. They share the second-best record in the NFL with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Accordingly, Baltimore has seen its AFC odds climb to +450. It’s also +850 to win the Super Bowl, up from +1400 late last month. On top of that, the Ravens are on pace to surpass their projected regular-season win total of 10.5.
Lamar Jackson remains the focal point of Baltimore’s success. Jackson completed 71.5% of his passes for 1,954 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s also second on the team in rushing with 440 yards (5.2 yards per carry) to go with five touchdowns. As such, he’s taken over as a +300 favorite to win his second NFL MVP.
As a whole, the Ravens’ offense has been a hit under new coordinator Todd Monken. They rank sixth in the NFL in both total yards (369 per game) and scoring (26.6 per game). Keep that in mind when analyzing our Browns vs Ravens best bets.
Watson Back for Surging Browns
At 5-3, the Cleveland Browns loom as one of the biggest threats to Baltimore in the AFC North. The Browns are coming off a 27-0 shutout of the Arizona Cardinals. A 13-point favorite, Cleveland covered the spread for the first time since Oct. 15.
Most importantly, Deshaun Watson looked healthy in his return from a shoulder injury. Watson, who hadn’t played a full game since Sept. 24, completed 19 of 30 passes for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That seemed to alleviate any concerns about his status moving forward.
While veteran backup P.J. Walker performed adequately in his absence, Watson — if healthy — is talented enough to elevate Cleveland to another level. The Browns are 4-1 in his starts this season, including a 39-38 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in which he left injured.
Cleveland’s defense is elite. On average, it’s allowed the fewest yards (234.8) and the third-fewest points (17.4), trailing only Baltimore and Kansas City. It’s held three of its first eight opponents to three points or fewer.
When breaking down Cleveland’s defense, it’s impossible to overlook Myles Garrett. The former No. 1 overall pick remains one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers, with 9.5 sacks (tied for second in the league). Garrett is currently a +200 co-favorite for NFL Defensive Player of the Year along with Dallas’ Micah Parsons and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt.
Oddsmakers seem to like the Browns’ chances of contending, pricing them -130 to make the playoffs and +550 to win their division.
Handicapping the Game
The Ravens own a sizeable edge in this rivalry of late, winning 12 of the last 16 meetings. That includes a 28-3 victory on Oct. 1, in which Watson was hurt.
The circumstances are obviously different this time around. Watson is healthy again, and Cleveland’s defense continues to perform at an exceptionally high level.
Cleveland is talented enough to keep this close. Its running game, led by Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt in the wake of Nick Chubb’s season-ending knee injury, should help take some of the pressure off Watson. But asking the Browns to go into Baltimore and knock off the Ravens is a bit much. The Ravens have an edge here, even if it’s close.
For a 2024 NFL bracket, betting odds, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
