Browns vs. Broncos Predictions, Picks & Odds: Monday Night Football, 12/2
The Week 13 slate was a bit more spread out due to Thanksgiving Week, but it still wraps up in the same way - with Monday Night Football. This week, we have the Denver Broncos hosting the Cleveland Browns as the former tries to maintain in the AFC Wild Card race. As we get ready for the prime time matchup, we’ve got our Browns vs. Broncos predictions for you.
We’ll expand into the best bet from our Browns vs. Broncos picks AND provide a multi-gifted FanDuel Sportsbook welcome offer, so make sure to check out everything below!
Browns vs. Broncos Predictions for Monday Night Football, NFL Week 13
As soon as fans see the matchup for Week 13 Monday Night Football, at least in most cases, the first thought is likely that we don’t have a very exciting game on the horizon. Even with Denver exceeding expectations with a rookie QB, they are still a defensively-focused football team.
The same is the case with Cleveland, but even still, the total for this matchup isn’t quite as low as some might expect. The Browns vs. Broncos odds also provide us with quite a significant home favorite, but is it a case of being a prisoner of the moment given Denver’s recent wins?
That’s what our Browns vs. Broncos picks will help answer, but first, more regarding each side of this matchup.
Cleveland Browns: Jameis The Spirit Lifter
Starting with Cleveland means starting with the guy that frankly, gets his team started and ready for each and every game. Despite being all but out of the playoff hunt, the Browns still pulled off the upset over the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers in their most recent matchup.
That was a great snow game for Thursday Night Football, and they’ll be looking to play spoiler once again as clear underdogs. By now, most fans have seen clips and videos of QB Jameis Winston and his motivational speeches prior to games, and no matter the situation, he always seems to find a way to get the Browns barking.
Denver Broncos: Believing In Bo
Speaking of QBs not expected to be in the limelight this season, that brings us to the Denver side of this Monday Night Football matchup. It was a rocky start near the Rocky Mountains for rookie QB Bo Nix, but things have been turning around in a big way.
He now has the Broncos sitting at 7-5 and in very real playoff contention. Over these past two games alone, Nix has thrown for six touchdown passes and no interceptions, which correlates to his high regard of being the most accurate QB in college football last year. More efforts like that will certainly help in making it three straight wins.
Browns vs. Broncos Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
We mentioned Denver being a clear home favorite on Monday night, and you can see the latest Browns vs. Broncos odds at FanDuel Sportsbook below:
- Point Spread: Cleveland Browns +5.5 (-110) vs. Denver Broncos -5.5 (-110)
- Money Line: Cleveland Browns (+205) vs. Denver Broncos (-250)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 41.5 (-110) vs. Under 41.5 (-110)
Browns vs. Broncos Teaser: Cleveland +11.5 & Over 35.5 Points (-120 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
As far as our favorite Browns vs. Broncos picks go, we’re going to be making a same-game, six-point teaser. So, we need both plays to hit, and we already have leans for both. Our projections have Denver -4 and a total of 43, so this is a way to take advantage of rather even discrepancies in both markets.
We’re also getting the Browns through the very key number of seven and the relatively key number of 10, meaning that they can even lose by multiple possessions and still come through for us!
Of course, we all know that they just pulled off an outright upset in their most recent game, but that wasn’t their only one of the season. It wasn’t long before that they also took down the Baltimore Ravens as nearly double-digit underdogs.
Keep in mind, when Denver played the Ravens, they were absolutely smashed 41-10. On that note of such a high-scoring game, while the Broncos defense has absolutely had some strong games, they haven’t been perfect. When they are performing well, we’ve also seen Nix lead the offense with high efficiency.
They’ve scored 29 and 38 points in their two most recent games, and they scored 28 and 33 points prior to the aforementioned Ravens loss. As for the Browns, trading star pass rusher Za’Darius Smith has hindered their defense, allowing even the New Orleans Saints to snap their seven-game losing streak with 35 points.
All of the above is a recipe for a closer-than-expected game and one with more points than anticipated, so we’re making the best bet from our Browns vs. Broncos predictions a teaser of Cleveland +11.5 and over 35.5 points (-120 at FanDuel Sportsbook).
Browns vs. Broncos Injury Report & Latest News
The injury to Cleveland QB Deshaun Watson earlier in the season was one of the biggest injury news pieces, but for this matchup, both teams are about as healthy as it gets. We love to see that, but it still never hurts to keep track of our own NFL Injury Report for the latest news.
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Player News
NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reports Colts co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon, the late Jim Irsay’s oldest daughter, is expected to become the team’s new controlling owner.
Irsay-Gordon previously assumed control of the Colts during Irsay’s six-game suspension in 2014, perhaps setting a precedent along the way. Florio adds that Irsay-Gordon’s sisters, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, will also remain co-owners, though their expected involvement has not yet been reported on.
The Times-Picayune’s Matthew Paras reports that Saints OT Trevor Penning took snaps at left guard during organized team activities.
Saints first-round rookie, OT Kelvin Banks Jr., is already taking repetitions at left tackle, which pushes last year’s first-round pick and starting left tackle, Taliese Fuaga over the the right tackle position. Penning, who manned the right tackle spot last year, will now evidently kick inside to left guard. Penning has failed to developed into a reliable pass protector through three NFL seasons but respectably earned a 70.1 PFF run-blocking grade last season. The Saints’ offensive line is rounding into form as an above-average unit.
The Athletic’s Zac Jackson reports that the Haslam Sports Group is asking for a $600 million loan from both the state and Cuyahoga County to build a new, indoor stadium for the Browns outside of Cleveland.
Per Jackson, “Gov. Mike DeWine has a June 30 deadline to sign the state budget into law,” though he must first wait for state Senate approval. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently joined Browns owner Jimmy Haslam for a meeting with DeWine and other state leaders to help secure public money, NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk. Goodell proclaimed the theoretical Brook Park stadium “would clearly be Super Bowl material,” and would benefit Cleveland’s small businesses located roughly 20 minutes away. Although Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb intends to fight the move, per Jackson, “the team essentially said it will move forward even without the county’s support.” The desired new stadium would also host other events and can be viewed as an “entertainment complex.” For fantasy-point purposes, moving to an indoor stadium would have a positive impact on December games, leaving behind the at-times snowy environs of the Browns’ roofless Huntington Bank Field.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Lions can now “kickstart” contract negotiations with EDGE Aidan Hutchinson (leg), now fully cleared by the medical team.
Regarding the potential contract’s value, Rapoport said, “we’ll see where it ends up landing” in relation to Myles Garrett and the other top EDGE players. Top-tier players generally reset their positional market, in terms of average annual value, and Rapoport’s phrasing leaves some room for interpretation as to whether that will be the case here. Hutchinson is inarguably one of the best EDGE defenders in the league, but he is returning from a serious injury, having suffered season-ending tibia and fibula fractures in October 2024.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he thinks WR Jermaine Burton is doing “a good job” this offseason.
Per Sports Illustrated’s Jay Morrison, Taylor said Burton has been “in the building outside of work hours, doing his own thing, prehabbing to get his body right” and is attacking “practice the right way.” Burton has reportedly declined interview requests, focusing instead on his work and there appears to be a “lighter air about him.” Joe Burrow noted that Burton seems to have “matured,” adding that “he’s in a good spot mentally and physically.” Morrison also plainly states that WRs “Kendrick Pryor and Isaiah Williams would shoot past Burton if there’s another transgression,” though Burton does technically occupy the No. 4 wide receiver spot. Burton has a long way to go before he should be considered as a serious late-round option in re-draft formats but if he continues to improve his standing with the team, he could get there with a standout training camp performance.
Cardinals placed CB Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve/non-football injury list.
We expect clarifying news to arrive shortly. Murphy-Bunting’s injury was not specified in the report, but notably dealt with a mid-season neck injury last year. Second-year CB Max Melton, CB Kei’Trel Clark and Starling Thomas V will likely compete for the No. 2 perimeter cornerback role opposite second-round rookie CB Will Johnson, while CB Garrett Williams mans the slot. The Cardinals also waived DE Ben Stille.