Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans December 4 Betting Preview

Get your popcorn ready. 

The Cleveland Browns (4-7) are making the trip south to Houston to take on the Texans (1-9-1) in a highly publicized matchup. Despite the clear difference between the two teams, this game will be electric regardless of the final score. 

The Favorites: Browns -7

For the first time in a while, the Browns head into this matchup as the clear betting favorites. After an impressive gutsy win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Browns have struck a bolt of momentum and are looking to keep it rolling these next six games. 

Deshaun Watson makes his long-awaited return to Houston, and his debut Sunday will officially mark the start of an era that fans everywhere have been waiting for.

From a crowd perspective, the pressure will be on the Browns to look better on offense than they already have. Jacoby Brissett provided the Browns with 11 games of top-10 quarterback play, which would be hard for many quarterbacks to follow up. 

Joe Woods and the Browns defense also seem to have taken steps in the right direction as the Browns made the crucial stops against Tom Brady and the Bucs. 

Rookie MJ Emerson is blossoming into a lockdown corner that can effectively render a top wide receiver useless.

Myles Garrett has also shown up in peak form and the extra energy added to this team with the debut of an elite QB investment may give this team the juice needed to win out and keep their playoff hopes alive. The Browns look like a safe bet to win, but as this season has gone, there are valid reasons to think otherwise. 

Texans (+250) ML

It's hard to get excited for this game if you're a Texans fan. This team needs good draft picks. 

On the one hand, losing to the Browns improves Houston's own draft pick, which is currently slotted for the first overall pick. 

On the other hand, beating the Browns means you get an improved draft position for the pick the Browns traded away to obtain Watson. That pick is currently standing at 10th overall. 

Add into the equation that the Texans have benched Davis Mills for Kyle Allen, which has turned out to be a lateral move yet still beneficial for the tank process. 

But there is still hope. Deshaun Watson last took snaps at QB in this league almost two years ago. There will be rust early in the game, and if the Texans can capitalize on that early, they have a shot to keep this one close. 

A win will depend on whether the Texans have any fight left this year. Veteran Brandin Cook has publicly admonished the team in every presser since the trade deadline, and defensive veteran Jerry Hughes had a justified outburst on the sideline last week. 

The point total for this game currently sits at 47, but I can see that rising if the Texans don't show up in the second half.