Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens October 23 Betting Preview

Sunday afternoon has a great AFC North division rivalry game, with the Cleveland Browns facing off against the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams are coming off disheartening losses, but the Browns need a rebound fast in a tight division.

The Ravens come into the game already with a 6.5-point edge over the 2-4 Browns. However, if the Browns defense gets things together, the game could be tighter.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns defense is coming into this game needing answers at all positions. During the team’s loss to the New England Patriots, the Browns’ defense had issues bringing down the ball carrier.

The problem with the Browns’ offense is how they keep going for it on fourth down. These failed conversions are giving up points, something they can’t continue to do with them one game behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North.

The Browns need to stick to their running game, as Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt give their offense a one-two punch when used properly. With Jacoby Brissett, the Browns can’t rely on the deep pass from him. A healthy dose of Chubb and Hunt is just the answer to help the Browns keep this game close.

Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens defense have choked in the fourth quarter of each of their three losses this season. Despite being against the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Giants, Jackson made costly mistakes while his defense was helpless to stop their opponents.

While the Ravens were favorites in two of those games, their fourth-quarter woes turned them into losers. The Ravens have yet to outscore their opponents in the fourth quarter, as they have blown three fourth-quarter leads this season .

With Jackson making up the bulk of the Ravens offense, it’s easy to shut down the one-dimensional offense in Baltimore. If the Ravens continue their fourth-quarter struggles, don’t expect them to hold a big lead over the Cleveland Browns.

Keys To The Game

Both teams have their strengths that they will stick to in this matchup. With the Cleveland Browns, it’s sticking with their star running backs, both in the running game and on drop-off passes.

The Baltimore Ravens will continue to have Lamar Jackson do all the work, as his 451 rushing yards is 267 yards more than the team’s top running back, Kenyan Drake. If both defenses game plan around these star players, it can turn into a low-scoring affair. 

However, for the Browns to stop Jackson, they need their defense to do a better job tackling. Their tackling issues are a huge issue, which can cost them if they continue. Jackson isn’t an easy player to bring down, so the Browns defense has its work cut out for them.

If they can bring him down, and capitalize on his fourth-quarter mishaps, the Browns can either keep this close or pull off an upset victory. The last time the Ravens lost at home to the Browns was in 2019, and they haven’t won by seven points or more against the Browns since 2020.