The New York Jets are starting the 2022 season without future franchise quarterback Zach Wilson, whose knee injury has him on the shelf. During the interim, Joe Flacco will lead the Jets’ offense, but against the Baltimore Ravens, things did not go so well, as the Jets only managed nine points in a 15-point loss. The Jets’ defense showed some improvement over last year but grew fatigued as the offense just could not stay on the field. This week, they head to Cleveland to take on the Browns, who used a run-heavy offense to dictate the rhythm against the Carolina Panthers, although a spirited comeback led by Baker Mayfield almost brought the Panthers a victory against his former team. It took a last-second field goal to put the Browns ahead for the win. The line for this week’s matchup started at 4 ½ points before ticking up two points. Does this NFL betting opportunity give enough value? Read our thoughts before you wager.
NFL Preview: N.Y. Jets at Cleveland Browns
(Sunday, September 18)
When: Sunday, September 18, 2022, 1:00 pm ET
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland
TV: CBS
Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM New York City / ESPN 850 AM Cleveland
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: Cleveland -6.5 / O/U 39.5 // Cleveland -285 / New York +228
Why should you bet on the Jets?
Joe Flacco had plenty of chances to operate, throwing for 307 yards and a score while completing 62.5% of his passes. He did have an interception, but the performance had to be close to what head coach Robert Saleh expected. His top target in terms of yardage was Corey Davis (six catches for 77 yards), and Michael Carter averaged six yards a carry. Carter also led the team in receptions (seven), showing how often Flacco had to check down to his safety valve instead of hanging in to throw the ball down the field.
On defense, C.J. Mosley led the team with 11 tackles (seven solo). However, even though the Ravens did not have top tailback J.K. Dobbins, they were able to run and pass the ball basically at will. The Jets have just covered six times in their last 19 games. However, Cleveland has failed to cover in five straight games in which they were the favorite and has just covered once in their last five games at home. Of course, those games came last year, as the Browns struggled mightily on offense.
Why should you put your money on the Browns?
Jacoby Brissett did enough to guide the Browns’ offense to victory, throwing for 147 yards and a touchdown without turning the ball over, bu the only completed 52.9% of his passes. Nick Chubb led the team with 141 yards on the ground, and Kareem Hunt picked up 46 rushing yards and found the end zone twice. Donovan Peoples-Jones led the team with six catches for 60 yards, and Hunt had four catches for 24 yards.
Myles Garrett picked up a couple of sacks, and he and Jadeveon Clowney should feast on a largely immobile Joe Flacco, especially since the Jets’ O-line is missing Mekhi Becton at least for the first half of the season. Cleveland has the running game and the defense to dominate the rhythm, just like Baltimore did against the Jets, but Jacoby Brissett does not have the offensive acumen that Lamar Jackson does.
Final Score and Prediction
I liked the Browns here when the line was 4 ½ points, but now that it has crept up near a touchdown, I’m not sure I like it as much. Instead, I’m looking at that point total. This feels like a 20-9 or a 23-10 game, which would stay well under the total. I predict a final score of Cleveland 20, Baltimore 10, but I feel much more confident about the “under” than I do that spread.
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