Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Betting Odds, Trends, and Picks for NFL Week 18 on FanDuel Sportsbook

If it seems weird to you that the Browns are favored by nearly a touchdown over the Bengals, that’s because it is. A week after knocking off the Chiefs with a last-second field goal in the game of the week, Cincinnati has nothing to play for having already secured its playoff position. After the news broke that quarterback Joe Burrow would not be playing in this contest as he opts to rest for the playoffs, the line swung all the way from Cincinnati -3 to Cleveland -6. 

That’s undoubtedly a big line swing, but is it warranted? As mentioned previously, there’s little to no motivation for the Bengals to win this game. Of course, there is an outside shot the Cincy can clinch the No.1 or No.2 seed in the AFC if the Titans or Chiefs lose, but both teams are heavy favorites, and that is not expected to be in play. 

Cincinnati could struggle to move the ball against this Browns defense without Burrow and Joe Mixon. Mixon tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week and is not expected to play. The Browns will be without Baker Mayfield, who needed emergency surgery after playing hurt for most of the season. All in all, both offenses should struggle to move the ball, which is why we have such a low total. 

We believe that Cincinnati is the vastly superior team when all things are equal. Considering that both teams will be without their starting quarterback, things should be closer to equal than they may appear at first glance. There’s no way we can recommend laying close to a touchdown with a rudderless Browns team, so the only way we could look at this game is with the Bengals.