The Baltimore Ravens have easily been the best team in the AFC North, and the Cleveland Browns have easily been the worst. But Baltimore is favored by a little more than a field goal when the two teams meet in Cleveland on Sunday, according to OddsShark.com.
NFL odds Week 9: Ravens vs. Browns
The Baltimore Ravens had looked mediocre before a bye, while the Cleveland Browns have won two of three, resulting in the 5-2 Ravens being only 3.5-point favorites over the 2-5 Browns.
Ron Schwane-US PRESSWIRE
The Ravens have a strong record, but none of their five wins have come by more than a touchdown. And before the bye, they suffered a 30-point blowout against the Dallas Cowboys. Joe Flacco's accuracy on deep passes has waned, and without Ray Lewis and Lardarius Webb, the Ravens' defense hasn't been as effective as it typically is.
Although the Browns lost their first five games, they've won two of their last three, including a gritty 7-6 win over the San Diego Chargers on the strength of a single Trent Richardson run and strong defense in bad weather this past weekend. If Sunday's game develops into a low-scoring affair like that game or the Ravens-Chiefs game from a few weeks ago, the Browns stand a chance -- or at least a chance of keeping it close.
The Ravens are favored by 3.5 points. Despite their 5-2 record, Baltimore is only 2-5 against the spread. Meanwhile, the 2-6 Browns are 4-3-1. A previous matchup between the squads saw the Browns make a two-score deficit look respectable with two fourth quarter field goals and almost completed a Hail Mary to tie the game, but eventually they lost a 23-16 game that wasn’t that close.
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