Bengals vs Browns NFL Pick: A Battle in Ohio to Start the Season (Sep 7)

• Cincinnati narrowly missed the playoffs last season after finishing at 9-8.
• The Browns had another majorly disappointing year, posting a 3-14 record.
• These teams last met on December 22, in a game that the Bengals won 24-6.

The Browns and Bengals meet in an AFC North clash in Week 1. Cleveland holds the homefield advantage, but faces quite a bit of uncertainty in this uphill climb against Cincinnati, particularly at the QB position.

Bengals Looking to Bounce Back

Cincinnati missed the playoffs at 9-8 last year, despite historic seasons from QB Joe Burrow and WR JaMarr Chase. With RB Chase Brown filling in the hole left by Joe Mixon nicely, the Bengals have little to worry about on offense. Even their rebuilt line has begun to show signs of improvement. On the other hand, their suspect defense remains near the bottom. 1st-round pick Shemar Stewart will help to try and change that.

Browns Face Many Questions

After another horrific 3-14 season, the Browns are once again faced with many tough decisions. Their QB room is a disaster, with Dillon Gabriel expected to back up 40-year-old Joe Flacco while Shedeur Sanders hopes to hang on to roster spot until Deshaun Watson returns. The only silver lining is the breakout of WR Jerry Jeudy. On the other side of the ball, Cleveland is in better shape, but they still have much work to do.

Bengals vs Browns NFL Pick

Cleveland holds the homefield advantage in this game, offering them an outside shot of taking down a Bengals team that is prone to slow starts. Unfortunately for the Browns, that is unlikely to be enough of a factor to overcome their offensive shortcomings. Expect Cincinnati to score 24+ in this game and win easily.