The Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Cleveland Browns to finish off the 2021 regular season. It's time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Bengals-Browns prediction and pick.

This game isn't the most important one of the year for Cincinnati. The Bengals already clinched the AFC North in Week 17, and they'll be making their first postseason appearance since that infamous meltdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. The Browns, on the other hand, will be watching the playoffs from home after falling well short of their preseason expectations. A victory against a divisional rival would at least help end the season on a positive note, so expect this to be another competitive AFC North battle.

For more insight on the Bengals-Browns matchup in Week 18, listen below:

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

NFL Odds: Bengals-Browns Odds

Cincinnati Bengals: +6 (-11o)

Cleveland Browns: -6 (-110)

Over: 37.5 (-108)

Under: 37.5 (-112)

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Why The Bengals Could Cover The Spread

While Cincinnati's defense is far from an elite unit, they should be more than good enough to deal with this abysmal Cleveland offense. The Browns haven't scored more than 24 points in nearly two months, and they've been held to less than 20 points in five of their last seven contests. Head coach Kevin Stefanski's squad has been heavily reliant on the running game this season, which is perfect for the Bengals. Cincinnati has been one of the best run defenses in all of football, as they only allow 96 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. This is a great matchup for this Bengals defense.

Injuries are hitting every team hard in the final weeks of the season, and the Browns are no exception. Starting quarterback Baker Mayfield was just placed on injured reserve, and it's possible that Cleveland will also miss key defensive players in this game. Starting cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Troy Hill are both questionable alongside safeties John Johnson and Ronnie Harrison.

Why The Browns Could Cover The Spread

Despite getting very little help from the offense, this Cleveland defense has quietly been fantastic. They haven't allowed a 30-point game to an opponent in over a month even though the opposition typically dominates time of possession. Now they face a Bengals offense that is missing star quarterback Joe Burrow. Backup signal-caller Brandon Allen will make the start in this game behind an offensive line that is missing two starters because of COVID protocols. Cleveland should dominate defensively here.

The Bengals are also dealing with a number of injuries to their defense. There's a chance Cincinnati's entire starting defensive line misses this game, either because of COVID protocols or other various injuries. Starting safety Vonn Bell was just placed on the COVID list too. Cincinnati will be shorthanded on both sides of the ball in this game, and that could be enough for Cleveland to pull out the cover.

Final Bengals-Browns Prediction & Pick

The Browns are being given too much credit here. They're missing their starting quarterback, and they hardly seemed capable of playing well with Baker Mayfield in the lineup. Take Cincinnati and the points.

Final Bengals-Browns Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati Bengals: +6 (-110)