Browns at Bengals: Picks, Spreads, Odds, and Predictions

The matchup on Sunday is a pivotal one in the AFC North. The Bengals need the win to even up the head to head games with the Browns. The Browns need the game to stay on pace in the division and also put them in a great spot with tie breakers down the road. The Bengals are currently 6 point favorites and the over under is 41.5.

Name	Pick	Score	Blurb
Elliot Harrison - NFL.com		17 - 14	This should be a close, classic AFC North contest between two teams with a habit of playing each other tight over the past few years. Last time out, the Browns won under the guidance of Brian Hoyer. This week, they'll try to do it with Jason Campbell, who in two starts this season has put up five touchdowns and zero interceptions while recording a passer rating well north of 100. Though he's not a runner per se, Campbell can get out of the pocket; he rushed seven times for 37 yards during those starts. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, on the other hand, has to get it together, especially when it comes to playing under duress. Dalton is 18-of-39 versus the blitz over the past two weeks, notching a passer rating of 36.9. That said, this is a game in which home field is a factor -- the Brownies have won just one of their last nine games in Cincinnati.
Don Banks - SI		24 - 10	The can't-stand-prosperity Bengals need a big bounce back after losing on the road in Miami and Baltimore, and they can't afford to get sloppy against a Browns team that has already beaten them once this season. Cleveland at .500 in mid-November would be a great little story, but if Cincinnati means business this year in the AFC North, this game shouldn't be close. And, oh, did you see the Bengals' latest defensive star last week against the Ravens? Linebacker Vincent Rey can play. His 13 tackles, three sacks and first career interception got overshadowed in the overtime loss, but Cincinnati knows how to find defensive playmakers, does it not? Tell me why Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer isn't an NFL head coach already?
Pete Prisco - CBS		17 - 13	The Browns got the Bengals in the first meeting. They won't get them here. The Browns are coming off the bye, so they will be rested. The Bengals are home for the first time in two weeks. This should be a low-scoring game. The Bengals break their losing streak.
Coley Harvey - ESPN		13 - 9	For so long, defense has run the AFC North, and in this meaningful division game, expect more of the same. Both teams will aggressively go after the quarterbacks, making it difficult on the offenses. The Bengals won't lose at home.
Pat McManamon - ESPN		20 - 19	Lost in the fact that the Bengals lost to Baltimore was a defensive effort that limited the Ravens to fewer than 200 yards in offense -- in an overtime game. The Browns want this game badly. The Bengals need it badly.
Greg Cote - Miami Herald		23 - 20	Cincy has absorbed consecutive overtime losses during which Andy Dalton has slumped, but Bengals are 4-0 at home, and that should provide the needed lift. Gals used to own this state rivalry but Earthtones have won past two including 17-6 in September, and seek first series sweep since 2002. Won't happen. Giovani Bernard will gouge Clevers' run defense, and Cincy's D will remind Jason Campbell he isn't very good. Still like Brownies with the points, though.
Mike Florio - ProFootballTalk		27 - 20	The Bengals are unbeaten at home. But they haven't played at home since losing Geno Atkins for the year. And the Browns finally have found a quarterback. A Cleveland sweep would throw the AFC North into complete disarray, but it's time for the Bengals to reverse the slide.
Michael David Smith - ProFootballTalk		28 - 20	This is a big game in the AFC North. If the Browns win they'll be just half a game behind the Bengals, and they'll own the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Browns are playing good football recently and the Bengals are struggling, and this has all the makings of a huge win for Cleveland and yet . . . I just can't pick the Browns. A.J. Green will make enough big plays to win this one.

Then there are the experts that pick the winners without a score projection or a writeup. Some of those are here:

Media Guy	Pick
Marcus Allen - ESPN
Mike Golic - ESPN
Merril Hoge - ESPN
Ron Jaworski - ESPN
Chris Mortensen - ESPN
Adam Schefter - ESPN
Mark Schlereth - ESPN
Tom Jackson - ESPN
Keyshawn Johnson - ESPN
Mike Ditka - ESPN
Chris Carter - ESPN
Jason La Canfora - CBS
Josh Katzowitz - CBS
Ryan Wilson - CBS

When I ran the simulation at WhatIfSports.com, The Bengals find themselves in another overtime game.