Before getting into this … holy crap – Baker Mayfield can play, and he can lead a team. In case you didn’t watch Thursday night, the Cleveland Browns beat the New York Jets, 21-17 (SU; ATS 21-20) in a come-from-behind win led by Mayfield. Tyrod Taylor went down with a possible concussion late in the second quarter, giving way to Mayfield to start the comeback.
Mayfield completed 17 passes in 23 attempts, totaled 94.9 in quarterback rating and had 201 passing yards. By comparison, Taylor in the first half went 4 of 14 for just 19 yards, managed a 5.6 QB rating and was sacked three times. Is this the beginning of the end for the Taylor Era in Cleveland? If Tyrod’s injury is significant enough, and Mayfield can prove without a doubt he can be an NFL starter, then Tyrod’s career in Cleveland will be very short-lived.
So far this season, the Browns are a perfect 3-0 ATS though just 1-1-1 SU. NFLbets wonders if using the Browns as a major part on your betting strategy is a wise investment. The Browns have sent a clear message so far this season: They will not be disrespected. They may lose, but these are not the embarrassing Cleveland Browns of the past. They finally have put together a team that can be competitive and keep games close enough for NFL bettors to benefit.
The main way the Browns can do so is with their defense which so far has been the catalyst for their relatively successful start to the season. Very few would have pegged Cleveland for anything but 0-3 at the start the year but with the 1-1-1 start, the Browns could potentially win anywhere from two to eight games this season. By no means is this a playoff team, but it is an NFL team. Ttook them long enough.
Myles Garrett is the best player the Browns have. Period. Three games into this season, he already has four sacks, more than half of his full season output for 2017. To go along with this, Garrett has 10 total tackles so far this year. He had 31 in all of 2017. Myles Garrett is a superstar in the NFL and is a big reason why the Browns are a sustainable bet.
At cornerback, Damarious Randall and Denzel Ward make up a lethal duo, with a combined 31 total tackles and 3 interceptions so far. They make an excellent 1-2 punch in the backfield that has been tough for teams to get anything by. The most shocking stat is that their defense has not let a team score more than 21 points so far this season, a testament to the skill level they possess defensively.
Saying that the Cleveland Browns are 3-0 ATS, so should you ride their hot streak? This team so far has only once been the favorite, which was Thursday night against the Jets. For the most part, we can guess Cleveland will be listed as underdogs. Win or lose, the Browns have shown they are good at one thing: Keeping games close. The defense will ensure that other teams do not run up the score on them, and the offense has enough weapons to keep games close enough to cover most point spreads of more than a touchdown.
It may be insane but putting it out on the line and betting on this team might just be the least crazy thing you can do.
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