Cleveland Browns vs Arizona Cardinals Betting Preview

The Browns found themselves in a wild game last week that saw over 1,000 total yards of offense. However, they let a 42-35 lead with less than five minutes left to slip away, even after the Chargers missed a PAT. With the Chargers scoring the final 12 points of the game, Cleveland’s three-game winning streak came to an end, dropping them to 3-2, one game off the pace in the AFC North.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are sitting atop the NFC West at 5-0. Arizona didn’t exactly have a dominating performance last week, although the Cardinals did enough to pull out a 17-10 win over the 49ers. With that win, four of Arizona’s five wins this season have come by at least seven points with three of the wins coming by double figures.

Mr. Murray, the MVP?

Kyler Murray has made a strong opening statement for being the league MVP this year. The Cardinals have a top-5 offense with Murray averaging over 320 passing yards per game in addition to being a menace for opposing defenses with his legs. But after scoring over 30 points in four straight games, last week’s 17-point performance is proof that the Arizona defense is far from unstoppable, especially against teams that can win in the trenches.

On the flip side, the Arizona defense is far better than most people realize with Murray and the offense getting so much attention. The Cardinals have held four of their five opponents to 20 points or less, which is going to be good enough to win with Arizona’s offense most weeks. However, Chandler Jones is expected to miss Sunday’s game, which is a problem with the rest of the Arizona defense combining for just seven sacks in five games.

Pound the Ground

Even in a losing effort last week, the Browns continued to be led by their rushing attack. Even with Baker Mayfield throwing for over 300 yards, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were the stars, combining for over 220 yards and three touchdowns. But to his credit, Mayfield played well last week despite struggling in his previous two games.

Of course, Cleveland’s defense is a major question mark after giving up 47 points last week, including four touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Wins against the Bears and Texans last month helped to mask some of the issues the Browns have on that side of the ball. The key for Cleveland is Myles Garrett and the pass rush, which must play well to help protect a secondary that was carved up last week.

At the Dawg Pound

The Browns have a great opportunity to win this week, as they’ll be hosting a West Coast team for an early game on the East Coast. Traditionally, teams like the Cardinals have struggled in such situations, which is good news for the Browns. Of course, Cleveland also has to deal with the pressure of being favored to beat a team that’s undefeated and looks well above average on both sides of the field.