Houston Texans vs. Cleveland Browns Betting Preview

The Houston Texans will be traveling to Cleveland to take on the Browns on Sunday at 1 pm EST on CBS. Cleveland comes into this game losing a close one away at the Kansas City Chiefs. The Houston Texans will be looking to build on their week 1 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Texans, without their star QB Deshaun Watson, played a solid enough game to get the 37-21 win at home. Their defense matched their total inceptions all season last year with 3 in this first game against Rookie QB Trevor Lawrence.

The Browns started off their game strong and had a 29-20 lead with only 10:24 to go in the game. They imploded on defense on the next Chiefs’ drive with blown coverage on Tyreek Hill who caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes. 

The Browns punted on their next drive, but their punter fumbled the snap which led to another Chiefs’ touchdown, and the rest is history.

Odds

The Browns are a considerable favorite in this game at home against the Texans as a 12.5 point favorite with odds of -110. The Texans, being at +12.5, have the same odds of -110 to cover the spread. 

The over/under for the game is set at 48 with the same odds, -110, to bet the over or under. The Moneyline for the game is -575 and +410 for the Browns and Texans, respectively.

Keys to the Game

Baker Mayfield will be a key to every game this season for the Browns. The success of their offense rests solely on how he plays. The rushing game will always be good with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt behind a great offensive line. The receiving core is solid behind Jarvis Landry and hopeful return Odell Beckham who looks to make his return in week 2.

Consistency for the Texans will be crucial to their success in this game. Tyrod Taylor had a solid week 1 throwing for 291 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he will be facing a much better defense with the Browns that should cause him issues. 

Although the Texans' defense forced 3 interceptions against Trevor Lawrence, they also blew some coverages downfield to give Jacksonville 2 easy touchdowns which will kill their chances against a talented Browns team.

I touched it earlier, but the last key to the game and season is whether Odell Beckham can return and perform. He struggled last season before getting injured only pulling in half his targets with 23 receptions in 7 games. The Mayfield-Beckham connection needs to be fluid if the Browns want to have a successful season.

Prediction

The Browns have more talent on both sides of the ball and should be able to take care of the Texans. They will need to pressure Tyrod Taylor to make mistakes. If they are able to get a couple of takeaways from the Texans’ offense, this will be a much-needed first win for the Browns.

Without this execution, this game will be much closer than the Browns would like it to be.