Bears Browns Betting – Browns Send Bears Into Preseason Winless
Sports betting players probably take the preseason less seriously than the NFL players do, but no one wants to be winless. That’s the scenario that the Bears are looking at right now as they head into Cleveland for their final preseason game, and the Browns will make Chicago fans uneasy about their team.
- What: NFL betting
- When: Thursday, September 2nd, 8:00 PM ET
- Where: Browns Stadium, Cleveland, OH
- Pick: Cleveland Browns +3
What’s On The Line
The Bears would love to finish the preseason with a victory after a 14-9 loss at home to Arizona left them 0-3 so far. The Browns fell to 1-2 after a 35-27 loss in Detroit, allowing a pair of scores in the fourth quarter. Starters will be largely left on the sidelines as teams look to avoid injuries, but the Chicago first-string offense could use more reps.
Offensive Matchups: Bears Browns Betting
Jay Cutler was 10-of-20 for 129 yards for the Bears, but he was also picked off twice, and after coming off a 26-pick season, that can’t be encouraging for those looking to bet on the Bears. Cutler is taking some time to get used to Mike Martz’s system, and he has no other choice but to cut down his mistakes. His 27 touchdown passes from last year were pretty much cancelled out by his picks. But it’s not all his fault: Cutler’s been sacked 10 times so far, and Devin Hester has been hurt.
Jake Delhomme was 20-of-25 for 152 yards and a touchdown, while Colt McCoy was 10-of-14 for 76 yards. The Browns could be sorted out at quarterback for the year, at least, and they’re going to have to air it out to open up the field for Jerome Harrison, who was brilliant late last year. Harrison has had some problems holding onto the ball in the preseason, and the Browns fumbled three times against the Lions.
Betting Edge: Draw
Defensive Matchups: Bears Browns Betting
The Bears were up against a struggling Arizona offense, but they still had to play a good game, and they did a good job of keeping the Cardinals from making any big plays. Safety Dan Manning had seven tackles to pace the Bears, and Julius Peppers earned a sack, which is exactly why they signed him. The Bears lost a little of their bite on defense last year, especially with Brian Urlacher injured, but they figured to step up a bit more in 2010.
The Browns’ defense was carved up by Detroit’s ground game, allowing 154 yards, and that’s going to be tough to deal with in a division with Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, all of whom have very good running backs. The Browns have gotten some promising efforts from rookies as safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Joe Haden are pushing hard for starting spots.
Betting Edge: Bears
Notable Injuries: Bears Browns Betting
Linebackers Urlacher (calf) and Lance Briggs (ankle) will probably sit this one out, and fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou (knee) is also very questionable.
The Browns managed to make it through the preseason without any serious injuries, which is great, because they’re not that deep or talented.
Betting Edge: Browns
Outlook and Pick: Bears Browns Betting
NFL betting odds have the Bears as a 3-point favorite away from home, but we’re taking the Browns to come away with the win in this one. The Bears are going to be looking at their linebacker depth, which will cause a lot of shuffling and will throw off their rhythm. The Browns have a lot of players still competing for spots, and they’re going to take this game very seriously. For once, take the Browns in your online betting book this week.
Stan’s Pick: Cleveland Browns +3
