Statschecker: Rams At Browns: 5 Things To Consider
Sunday Night Football represents a match-up between one team that knows it is a Super Bowl contender against a team that’s hoping they’re worthy of being in that conversation. The Rams know they have the talent to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, but the Browns are still working to break their lengthy postseason drought.
A quick check of our Statschecker website should be a requirement before you make your final wagers on the contest. There’s a lot of information out there for you to come through, but there isn’t a better concentrated spot of relevant betting information anywhere. As always, I’m here to give you a taste of what’s available with five intriguing facts about the primetime game.
- The Rams like being favorites
Los Angeles sports one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL. Head coach Sean McVay is nothing short of a genius when it comes to that side of the game. That’s a big reason why the Rams are so dominant against the spread. They’ve covered in each of their last five games as favorites.
McVay’s team may only be 3.5-point favorites in Cleveland, but that shouldn’t give you much pause before making your wager. If you like the Rams to win, you should like them to cover the spread as well.
- The atmosphere should be electric
Cleveland has one of the most passionate fan bases in the league. There’s a reason the Browns continually post solid attendance numbers despite decades of losing. One byproduct of those doldrums is the fact that the Browns haven’t hosted a Sunday Night Football game since 2008.
Expect everyone in Northeast Ohio to flock to Cleveland in an effort to soak up the atmosphere associated with this big game. The crowd will be a big factor. The question you need to answer is whether or not oddsmakers priced enough home field advantage into the line for the Browns.
- The Rams are road warriors
If any team in the league has the mental toughness to walk into a difficult road environment and emerge victorious it would be Los Angeles. There’s a reason the Rams have won 11 of their last 13 road games.
That statistic reflects more than just the high quality of the roster McVay has to work with. He also has a football team that doesn’t back down to a hostile environment. Don’t expect Aaron Donald and his teammates to wilt under pressure from the Dog Pound in Cleveland.
- Todd Gurley could get going
The former University of Georgia star has scored at least two touchdowns in eight of his last 13 games where the Rams are road favorites. That may seek like a bit of a jumbled fact, but it’s pretty easy to interpret if you really think about it.
The Rams are more likely to lean on their ground game when they’re on the road against a team they feel like they can subdue. For all the talk about McVay’s high-flying pass game, it could be the run that is the real weapon on Sunday night. Gurley may not get a ton of carries, but he could easily find pay dirt multiple times if he gets quality red zone touches.
- The Browns aren’t great home underdogs
Part of this statistic is skewed by the fact that Cleveland hasn’t been good for a long time, but it’s still troubling to learn that they are only 5-22-1 as home underdogs since 2014. In many ways, this fact just backs up what we all know about the Browns. They don’t have a significant history of showing up and winning important games like this.
Maybe things with Baker Mayfield will be different, but he hasn’t exactly been playing Pro Bowl caliber football this season. He’ll need to be close to perfection on Sunday night to spring the upset.
Take the Rams and the over
Jared Goff isn’t a quarterback that many people fall in love with, but he’s a clinician when it comes to executing McVay’s offense. That should be enough to allow the Rams to move the ball effectively despite the quality the Browns have along their defensive front.
The Browns will find a way to make some big plays at home though. Odell Beckham will match up with Marcus Peters and Cleveland should like their chances there. He’ll have to work for his yards, but he is going to be a problem for the LA secondary all night long.
In the end, expect the Rams to win the game by a touchdown in a reasonably high scoring affair. That’s why we’re willing to give up 3.5 points and bang the over at 47 points on Sunday night.