The Cleveland Browns (3-2) and Indianapolis Colts (3-3) meet Sunday for a Week 7 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (CBS). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Browns vs. Colts odds, and make our expert NFL picks and predictions.
The Browns pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the NFL season last weekend, knocking off the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers 19-17 as 8.5-point home underdogs. Cleveland has won and alternated covers and non-covers in each of the first 5 games, while cashing the Under at a 3-1-1 clip.
The big news from Indy is that QB Anthony Richardson was declared out for the season due to an injury to his throwing shoulder, leaving the offense in the hands of QB Gardner Minshew II. Minshew started last week’s game against his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Colts were on the short end of a 37-20 setback as 4-point road ‘dogs with the Over (44) cashing.
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Browns at Colts odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 11:29 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Browns -186 (bet $186 to win $100) | Colts +156 (bet $100 to win $156)
- Against the spread (ATS): Browns -3.5 (-110) | Colts +3.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 40.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
Browns at Colts key injuries
Browns
- TE Harrison Bryant (hip) questionable
- RB Kareem Hunt (thigh) questionable
- CB Greg Newsome II (hamstring) questionable
- LB Sione Takitaki (hamstring) out
- QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) questionable
Colts
- TE Kylen Granson (concussion) out
- WR Alec Pierce (shoulder) questionable
- OL Braden Smith (hip, wrist) out
Browns at Colts picks and predictions
Prediction
Browns 22, Colts 16
Moneyline
The Browns (-186) are a little bit of a risky play with Watson still carrying a questionable tag into the game. He has missed the past 2 games, sandwiching a bye week, due to a bone bruise at or near the rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder.
Don’t discount the absence of Takitaki, too. He can be disruptive on defense, racking up 9 solo tackles with 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss, while Newsome is also a key player with a 50-50 questionable tag. The former Northwestern Wildcats standout has 16 total stops, a tackle for loss and 2 passes defensed.
The Colts (+156) didn’t look great with Minshew under center last week. However, Cleveland fans and regular bettors know, this team has a tendency to win the games it shouldn’t, then lay an egg in games it should win.
PASS as it’s not wise to risk nearly 2 times your potential return on a road team.
Against the spread
The BROWNS -3.5 (-110) are the lean.
Be careful and tread lightly as it certainly won’t be a blowout. Even if Watson sits and QB PJ Walker is summoned to start, Cleveland should be in good shape, hopefully building upon its momentum from its win over the Niners.
Over/Under
UNDER 40.5 (-108) is a rather low number in this day and age of video game football, but Cleveland has a tremendous defense. The Browns should create plenty of havoc, coaxing Minshew into some miscues.
Meanwhile, the Colts are without Granson, who is a big red-zone threat. Between that injury, and potentially missing Pierce, too, the Indy attack could be more ground-based, which favors total bettors going low.
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