The NFL season is finally kicking off, and we have a solid AFC North matchup to begin week 1. The Cincinnati Bengals stay in the state of Ohio to take on the Cleveland Browns! This game will continue our NFL odds series as we hand out a Bengals-Browns prediction and pick.

The Bengals are coming off a season in which they lost in the AFC Championship game. The year before that, the Bengals made it to the Super Bowl. Burrow has had a lot of success when he plays, and the Bengals are obviously better with him. The Bengals will look to have a repeat season, starting with this game against the Browns.

Cleveland did not make the playoffs last season. However, this year will mark the first full year of Deshaun Watson at quarterback. He will get the chance to lead the offense, and try and take the Browns to the playoffs. Nick Chubb, Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Elijah Moore will all look to make an offensive impact, as well.

Here are the Bengals-Browns NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Odds: Bengals-Browns Odds

Cincinnati Bengals: -1.5 (-115)

Cleveland Browns: +1.5 (-105)

Over: 47.5 (-110)

Under: 47.5 (-110)

How to Watch Bengals vs. Browns Week 1

TV: CBS

Stream: fuboTV, NFL+

Time: ET/PT

*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Bengals Could Cover The Spread

First things first, Joe Burrow will most likely be suiting up for week one. In the last two seasons, the Bengals are 22-10 when Joe Burrow is their starting quarterback. He is their best chance to win this game and lead the Bengals to a victory. To make matters better for Burrow, JaMarr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Joe Mixon are all healthy and ready to go for week one. With that offense, the Bengals are one of the best offenses in the NFL. If they can all click at the same time, the Bengals are going to be incredibly hard to stop.

One thing the Bengals needed to address was their offensive line. They have to protect Joe Burrow in the pocket if they want to keep him healthy, and give him a chance to make plays. Cincinnati signed Orlando Brown Jr to help out the offensive line. Among others, the Bengals offensive line did improve greatly. As long as they keep Burrow upright, the Bengals will win this game.

Why The Browns Could Cover The Spread

Watson played the last six games of the season for the Browns in 2022/2023. With the Browns, Watson was 3-3 with seven touchdowns, five interceptions, and 1.102 total pass yards. Watson also rushed for 175 yards, giving him 4.9 yards per carry. That is not great, but now that he has had a full off-season to work with the team, and they went through training camp, I would expect the team to be on the same page. Watson has a great receiving core, and their running back is one of the best in the NFL. Their offense should be able to put up some points.

I will believe the Bengals have a revamped offensive line when I see it. For now, we have to focus on Myles Garrett, Za'Darius Smith, and the rest of the defensive line. If the past is any indication of what will happen, the Browns will put a lot of pressure on Burrow. Doing this is going to cause a lot of problems, and help the Browns cover the spread.

Final Bengals-Browns Prediction & Pick

Burrow is 1-4 against the Browns in his career. However, he did win his most recent game against them. For this one, I will take the Bengals to cover the spread.

Final Bengals-Browns Prediction & Pick: Bengals -1.5 (-115), Under 47.5 (-110)