Top NFL Pick: Over 44 (-105) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
The stage is set for the first wild-card game of the season featuring the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. Let’s check out the latest NFL odds and keep cashing at our main offshore sportsbooks!
Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans
Saturday, January 13, 2024 – 04:30 PM ET at NRG Stadium
Stat Trifecta
- Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games.
- Cleveland is 4-0 SU in their last 4 games against Houston.
- Cleveland is 10-0 SU in their last 10 games against an AFC South opponent.
Browns Take a Knee
Safety was more important than victory in the Browns’ final regular season game. And so, the starters took a knee and rested on the sidelines. Joe Flacco also got an opportunity to heal his soon-to-be 39-year-old body. He also got paid the $75,000 bonus he was due had he made the start.
Sure, it’s chump change in the world of professional sports, but I’m sure it’s making Flacco feel appreciated. It’s just another reason for Jumpin’ Joe to lead the Browns to the Promised Land after Cleveland fans pinned their hopes on Deshaun Watson and his five-year, $230 million deal. Watson has been injured and more of a bust than a boom after two seasons. Meanwhile, Flacco has been the cure that ails an entire city.
With the second-stringers in, the Browns bowed in Week 18 to the Bengals, 31-14. But you can toss that game right in the garbage if you’re hoping to glean any handicapping information from it. The starters rested while the backups played. It was a golden opportunity for the players who truly matter to lick their wounds and get healthy for Saturday’s playoff contest against the Texans.
Texans Secure Division Crown
Houston desperately needed a win at a venue in which they were 4-16 over their last 20 visits. But that didn’t faze rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, who tossed a pair of touchdowns and threw for 264 yards in a 23-19 victory over the Colts in Indianapolis.
The victory locked up the AFC South title for the Texans. The lone sack they got in the game gave them 46 on the season, a franchise record. Houston’s sure-footed kicker, Ka’imi Fairbairn, missed his first extra point of the season but the miscue would not come back to haunt him or his team.
Carolina’s selection of Bryce Young as the No. 1 overall selection in April’s NFL Draft is the gift that keeps giving to the Houston Texans. It took most of the decision-making right out of the process as it was either C.J. Stroud or Anthony Richardson at No. 2 and it’s safe to say the Texans got it right.
The rookie sensation ended his inaugural campaign with 23 touchdowns, 5 picks, for 4,108 yards, and completed 63.9% of his passes. His cool presence behind the line of scrimmage has allowed former Michigan star, Nico Collins, to flourish. Collins ended with 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Rookie Sensation vs. Resurrected Veteran
This should be an entertaining matchup with the flashy rookie, C.J. Stroud, pitted against the old-school bombardier, Joe “Lazarus” Flacco, who has seen his career resurrected after signing in November as a desperation move for the Browns.
But the time off has done Flacco a world of good and he still has a cannon of an arm. Flacco has played like the savvy veteran you would expect in his five appearances with the Browns. But he has made some ill-advised throws as well.
So here we are. We have a tough-as-nails defense in Cleveland, ranked No. 1 against the pass allowing 164.7 yards per game, against a gritty Houston squad that isn’t spectacular but solid on both sides of the ball.
The Pick
With that, let’s go to the replay. I refer to the December 24th game between these teams in which Joe Flacco and Amari Cooper scorched the Texans secondary for 265 yards and two touchdowns, while Flacco would end with a total of 368 passing yards and three passing TDs.
That wasn’t all that surprising, as Houston owns a lower-tier pass defense, ranked 23rd and surrendering over 234 passing yards per game. The final score saw the Browns winning by a 36-22 score but seven of the Texans’ 22 points came via a 98-yard kick return by Dameon Pierce.
Yet, to be fair, C.J. Stroud was sidelined for that game but the last time I checked, Stroud doesn’t play defense. It was a lopsided affair and the Browns would have still won that game anyway. I like the Browns in this one, as they are a 2 ½ point favorite as of this Monday morning writing. Get it before it drifts north to -3 or more.
NFL Pick: Browns -2 ½ (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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