Browns vs. Titans prediction, best bets: Cam Ward, Deshaun Watson to struggle in Week 7
Even the most optimistic Cleveland supporters could not have expected this start to the season for the Browns.It’s late October, and the Browns are 4-2, tied with the Steelers and Ravens for the best record in the AFC North.It certainly hasn’t been flashy, but results are results.This week their task is simple: Beat the worst team in football on their own turf.Oddsmakers have the smallest amount of faith this Browns team can do it as they are 1.5-point road favorites against a Titans team that is 0-3 at home.The Browns deserve some credit for where they are right now.They were getting buried after their season-opening blowout loss to the Jaguars and Deshaun Watson’s puzzling comments about his expectations as a quarterback.Since then, Watson and the Browns have played five straight one-score games and have come out on the winning side of four of them.But the path has been ugly.Their offense generates the third-fewest yards per play in the NFL, they’ve committed the second-most penalties, and they score on just 31 percent of their drives, which ranks sixth-worst.The only good news for the Browns is the Titans are even worse on offense.Cam Ward hasn’t progressed in his second season as the Titans quarterback, with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll calling the shots on offense, and he ranks last among quarterbacks in passing yards.Maybe last week’s comeback win over the Colts will get the offense going, but the Browns defense is legit despite trading away one of the best defensive players ever.
I’m reluctant to pick either side of this matchup.The Browns should be the better team here, but they can’t be trusted to keep winning these close games, especially on the road.I’ll grab the Under here with both teams struggling to generate much on offense.The Pick: Under 37.5 (-112, BetMGM)Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017.
He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports.He spends his weeknights...