Bengals vs. Browns Prediction, Pick, Odds: How Will Joe Burrow Look Returning From Injury in Week 1?
The Cincinnati Bengals open up their 2023 NFL season against the Cleveland Browns this Sunday. After practicing all week, how will Joe Burrow look returning from his preseason injury? Jason Radowitz answers.
Jason Radowitz - September 10, 2023, 10:51 AM EDT
5 minBengals vs. Browns Prediction, Pick, Odds: How Will Joe Burrow Look Returning From Injury in Week 1?
The Cincinnati Bengals fell short of another Super Bowl appearance last season.
Like every team, the goal for the Bengals is to make the Super Bowl again this year. For some teams, it's attainable. For others, it's not.
But for the Bengals, it is. They've got one of the best quarterbacks in his prime. Joe Burrow threw for 4,475 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions last season. Burrow has a calf injury that has kept him out of all preseason games. However, it sounds like he'll play in their first game against the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns didn't change much on offense. They're rolling with mostly what they had last season. That offense, led by Deshaun Watson, got the Browns fourth place in the AFC North at 7-10.
Can the Browns earn a statement win at home on Sunday?
Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for Sunday's game between the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns.
Bengals vs. Browns Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
- Date: September 10, 2023
- Game Time: 1:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: CBS
Bengals vs. Browns Odds
- Spread: Bengals -2.5 (-110), Browns +2.5 (-110)
- Total Odds: O/U 47.5 (-110)
- Moneyline Odds: Bengals (-135), Browns (+115)
Bengals vs. Browns Injury Report
Bengals
Questionable: DE Joseph Ossai (Ankle)
Out: OT La'el Collins (Knee)
Browns
Questionable: RB Jerome Ford (Hamstring), CB Denzel Ward (Concussion)
Out: LB G Drew Forbes (Undisclosed), LB Jordan Kunaszyk (LB), DE Alex Wright (Knee)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Prediction
The Cincinnati Bengals were red hot to close out the 2022 regular season. The Bengals won eight straight games and finished 12-4 throughout the season behind a dominant Joe Burrow.
The Bengals retained Joe Mixon at running back and still have Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd at wide receiver. Cincinnati lost Hayden Hurst to Carolina. However, they brought in Irv Smith Jr., who has excellent potential in this offense.
The offensive line for the Bengals was average. The pass protection and run block could've been better. However, Burrow was phenomenal, and the rest of the playmakers did their thing.
Meanwhile, the defense for the Bengals was also underappreciated last year. The team was terrific in coverage and locked up their tackles very well.
That's an area where the Browns struggled with last year. Cleveland's defense missed countless tackles and was terrible against the run.
The Bengals have Joe Mixon and rookie Chase Brown, who is projected to earn some carries as the second running back for the team. Brown played for the Illinois Fighting Illini and produced at a high rate in college.
On the other hand, Dashaun Watson could only play in six games last year for the Browns. The former 12th overall pick in 2017 completed just 58.2% of passes and averaged 6.5 yards per pass play last year. He also threw just seven touchdowns and allowed five interceptions in his six regular season games.
That's not very good.
I'm sure an entire training camp and offseason helped. But until Watson proves that he can get back to where he used to be, I'd fade him.
The Browns were dominant in the run game with Nick Chubb. The offensive line was also much better than Cincinnati's last season. But the Cleveland defense just isn't as good as Cincinnati's overall.
The Browns' secondary can be beaten, and the run defense was abysmal. If Joe Burrow is playing, it means he's healthy and ready to go. The Bengals wouldn't play him in Week 1 if he weren't.
Therefore, I'll take the Bengals -2.5 on the road here.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Pick
- Bengals -2.5 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
NFL Odds
