The New Orleans Saints will travel to take on the Cleveland Browns in a Christmas Eve afternoon NFL matchup at FirstEnergy Stadium. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL odds series, which includes a Saints-Browns prediction and pick, laid out below.
New Orleans has struggled in the first season under head coach Dennis Allen, going 5-9. Somehow, that record finds the team in second place in the abysmal NFC South. Allen has seemed to find his quarterback as Andy Dalton is healthy and succeeding.
Cleveland has navigated the murky waters of their tumultuous offseason to a 6-8 record, third place in the AFC North. The team has won three of their last four games to hold on to the slimmest of chances for a playoff berth. Head coach Kevin Stefanski may save his job with a nine-win season.
Here are the Saints-Browns NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Saints-Browns Odds
New Orleans Saints: +2.5 (+100)
Cleveland Browns: -2.5 (-122)
Over: 32.5 (-105)
Under: 32.5 (-115)
Why The Saints Could Cover The Spread
Andy Dalton has started in 11 games for New Orleans, going 4-7 in those contests. Dalton has completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,403 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While not flashy, Dalton is the perfect transitional quarterback between Drew Brees and the next franchise quarterback. Alvin Kamara leads the team with 641 rushing yards, scoring one touchdown. With Mark Ingram out for the season, Taysom Hill is the second fiddle to Kamara, leading the team with five rushing touchdowns. New Orleans has rushed for 1,558 yards and nine touchdowns as a team. Cleveland has allowed 1,863 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns to their opponents.
Rookie Chris Olave has rewarded the team's early draft pick with 940 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. However, Olave has yet to practice this week with a hamstring injury. Juwan Johnson leads the team with seven receiving touchdowns. Once again, Michael Thomas is on Injured Reserve, forcing others to step up in his absence. New Orleans has averaged 20.4 points per game, 22nd in the league.
Defense has not been much better for the Saints, ranking 17th with 22.5 points allowed per game. New Orleans has sacked their opponents 38 times, and a shaky Cleveland offensive line has allowed 30 sacks. However, the Saints will need to increase their three interceptions to force pressure on their opponents.
Why The Browns Could Cover The Spread
Deshaun Watson has returned, starting the last three games for Cleveland. Watson has gone 2-1 in those games, completing 60.9 percent of his passes for 568 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Watson has also added 76 yards on the ground. The running attack is led by Nick Chubb, who has rushed for 1,252 yards and 12 touchdowns. Kareem Hunt, the second of the dynamic duo, has rushed for 447 yards and three touchdowns. Cleveland's impressive ground game has gained 2,086 yards with 18 touchdowns this season.
Amari Cooper is the team's leading receiver with 932 yards and seven touchdowns. Tight end David Njoku is second with three receiving touchdowns. Donovan Peoples-Jones is second with 782 receiving yards, hauling in two touchdowns. Cleveland ranks 13th in the league, scoring 22.4 points per game.
Cleveland's defense has been shaky, allowing 23.3 points per game to rank 20th in the league. While New Orleans has allowed 30 sacks, Myles Garrett needs to be feared, as he leads the team with 13.5 sacks. Garrett can single-handedly take over the game.
Final Saints-Browns Prediction & Pick
Cleveland has more talent and more to play for in this one. Do not expect a great scoring effort from either group.
Final Saints-Browns Prediction & Pick: Cleveland -2.5 (-122), under 32.5 (-115)