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Cleveland Browns vs New York Jets predictions
- Cleveland Browns HT/FT double result – 4/5 with BetVictor
- David Njoku to score a touchdown any time – 21/10 with bet365
- Bryce Huff to record a sack – 9/5 with bet365
A third play-off appearance in 23 years is calling to the Cleveland Browns and all they have to do to lock up a spot is beat a New York Jets team heading for a fourth-straight season with double-digit losses (Sky Sports Main Event, 1.15am Friday).
The Browns are 10-5 entering the penultimate gameweek of the regular season and only need to avoid defeat to confirm a first play-off appearance since 2020.
They are favoured by 7.5 points on the handicap by most NFL betting sites for the visit of the Jets, who are eliminated from play-off contention at 6-9 and are keen to see the end of what has been a disappointing campaign.
Both teams will be starting back-up quarterbacks with ex-Jets QB Joe Flacco hoping to continue his recent renaissance against his old side, who will have third-stringer Trevor Siemian under centre.
Siemian and the Jets are fresh off a thrilling 30-28 win over the Washington Commanders on Christmas Eve but shouldn’t find it as easy to put up points against the Browns’ top-ranked defence with the total set at 35 on betting apps.
It figures to be a long night for Gang Green on the banks of Lake Erie. Here are our Cleveland Browns vs New York Jets predictions.
Browns may bully grounded Jets
Cleveland are 3-1 since Flacco took over from the injured Deshaun Watson at quarterback in Week 13, impressively seeing off the Houston Texans 36-22 on the road last time out.
That victory secured the Browns just their second double-digit win season in the last 16 years and all but guaranteed a play-off berth, which now just needs rubber-stamping.
It was feared Cleveland may not get across the line when Watson went down, but Flacco has held it together for the offence magnificently, throwing 10 touchdowns and averaging 326.8 passing yards in four games.
That level of performance will come as a shock to the Jets, who watched the 38-year-old struggle badly in four starts for them last season, going 1-3 and throwing just five touchdowns.
Flacco still has some of the bad habits Jets fans became used to seeing. He’s had seven interceptions and a fumble in his four starts for Cleveland and it seems likely a Jets defence that ranks third against the pass will bring him down a peg or two.
But the same goes for Jets QB Siemian following his first NFL victory as a starter since 2017. He didn’t have to do anything too special against a Washington defence regarded as the worst in the league as New York lent heavily on its rushing attack.
It will be far harder for the Jets attack to move the ball against a Cleveland defence giving up a league-best 13.1 points per game at home, and that ranks first against the pass and 10th against the run.
The Jets failed to get on the board in a 30-0 defeat to the Miami Dolphins in their last road game, and this encounter has the potential to be dominated by the defence.
Factor in injuries to both team’s first-choice kickers that could see them miss the game and the likelihood of a high-scoring game diminishes further, calling into question the Browns’ ability to cover the 7.5-point spread set by betting sites.
Cleveland are 7-1 at home this season though and they have far more to play for than this Jets team, who saw their campaign ruined minutes into Week One when Aaron Rodgers got hurt.
Perhaps the best way to back the Browns, who are a best-price of 2/7 to win outright on the money line, is to look at them in the double result market.
The Jets have been incredibly slow starters, averaging 7.2 points per half this season, while that number dips further to 6.7 points on the road.
The Browns have averaged 14.3 points per first half in their last three games and should have enough on both sides of the ball to take a lead into half-time before converting that into an 11th victory of the season.
Cleveland Browns vs New York Jets Tip 1: Cleveland Browns HT/FT double result – 4/5 with BetVictor
Njoku ending the regular season in style
Amari Cooper set a Browns’ franchise record for receiving yards in last weekend’s win over the Texans, posting 265 yards on 11 catches.
The wide receiver was the star of the show for Cleveland’s offence on that occasion, but it had been tight end David Njoku seeing the majority of targets before that for the Flacco-lead attack.
Njoku has been targeted 37 times by Flacco and has managed to turn that into a four-game stat line of 24 catches for 256 yards and four touchdowns.
He’s had a touchdown in each of his last three games, and if there’s a position this excellent Jets defence is vulnerable against, it’s tight-ends.
The Jets have given up eight touchdowns to tight-ends this season and given the potential for Cooper to be kept under wraps by the Jets secondary, Njoku could be in for a big day.
Cleveland Browns vs New York Jets Tip 2: David Njoku to score a touchdown any time – 21/10 with bet365
Huff and puff may get Bryce a sack
Linebacker Bryce Huff has really kicked on in his fourth year in the NFL, more than doubling his career sack tally this season.
Huff leads the Jets in sacks this season with eight, all of which have come in an 11-game stretch after failing to make too much of an impact on the stat sheet the first four weeks of the year.
Huff has had a sack in three of his last five games and there’s the potential for him to take down Flacco at 9/5 with bet365.
The Browns’ offensive line has been hit hard by injuries of late and Flacco has coped admirably given the lack of protection at times.
Flacco has still been sacked seven times in his four starts, including being sacked four times in his last home start against the Chicago Bears.
The Jets are putting Huff in positions to get after the quarterback and he’ll have his old team mate firmly in his sights.
Cleveland Browns vs New York Jets Tip 3: Bryce Huff to record a sack – 9/5 with bet365
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
