MNF Week 14: Ravens vs. Browns odds, preview, and pick

The Cleveland Browns (9-3) look to take another step toward their first playoff appearance since 2002, as they host the Baltimore Ravens (7-5) on Monday night (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) in NFL Week 14 action. The Browns are slight underdogs in the game, and the total currently sits at 46.5 points.

Ravens trying to save their season

The Ravens are currently in the midst of a difficult Wild Card fight. One of the six teams they are battling for those three spots are the Browns, who currently sit two games ahead of them in the standings. With a 38-6 head-to-head victory in hand from Week 1, Baltimore would give themselves a massive tiebreak advantage with a win in the rematch.

The Ravens ended a three-game skid with a 34-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, but their last four defeats have all come to teams with playoff aspirations in the AFC. Now they will need to reverse that trend, and establish their top-ranked rushing offense against the eighth-ranked run defense in the NFL. The Ravens rank dead last in passing yards per game, but might find some success against a Browns defense that ranks 24th in that area.

Lamar Jackson threw for just 107 yards in their win over the Cowboys but rushed for 94 yards, the first time he topped 65 yards rushing since mid-October. The Ravens will need him to up his game in this one, as a win would put them in great position to salvage a playoff spot. Their schedule ends with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Cincinnati Bengals, meaning a four-game win streak is not out of the question.

Browns looking to seal the deal

Meanwhile, excitement is very high in Cleveland as the long-suffering Browns fans know a win on Monday puts them at more than 90-percent odds of making the playoffs. That is before other results are even factored in, so it is possible they will be playing for a guaranteed spot when they kick off. Cleveland has won four straight, including a hard-fought 41-35 win over the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans last week.

Baker Mayfield threw four touchdowns in the first half to stake Cleveland to a 38-7 lead. They led 41-21 at the two minute warning, before Tennessee scored two touchdowns to make things very dicey in the final seconds. Cleveland ran for just 118 yards, a far cry from the dominant running game they have enjoyed much of the season, but they forced three turnovers on the day. Their defense also did a great job holding Derrick Henry in check, allowing just 62 total rushing yards on 18 carries and allowing no carries of more than ten yards.

The one area of concern was their pass defense, as Titans wide receiver Corey Davis caught 11 passes for 182 yards on 12 targets. Fortunately for Cleveland, there does not appear to be that much of a threat of that happening this week, but they will need to limit Raven tight end Mark Andrews’ big-play ability. Titans tight end Anthony Firkser caught five passes for 81 yards last week, so the Browns will need to defense that position well this week.

Baltimore vs. Cleveland injury report

Baltimore corner back Jimmy Smith returned to practice on Friday and has a chance to play, but defensive end Calais Campbell has missed both practices this week with a calf issue and is now questionable. Meanwhile, all of Baltimore’s COVID-19 designated players have returned to practice.

As for Cleveland, tight end Austin Hooper may miss this game, as he missed practice on Friday with a neck injury. Corner back Denzel Ward and wide-out KhaDarel Hodge also are questionable for Monday night.

Ravens vs. Browns betting trends

Baltimore has won 14 of their last 20 games outright, but they have lost four of their last six. The Ravens have won 16 of their last 20 games against Cleveland. They have covered the spread just three times in their last seven games, but have done so in two straight. The total has gone Over in just two of their last five games, and has gone Under in their last three road games.

As for Cleveland, they have covered just twice in their last seven games, but have won five of their last six outright. The total has gone Under in six of their last eight meetings with the Ravens, and in four of their last seven contests overall. Cleveland has won five of their last six home games.

Baltimore holds a dominant record of late in this series, but this is a different Cleveland Browns team. They run the ball better than any team aside from Baltimore, and quarterback Baker Mayfield is playing well. He has not thrown an interception over his last five games, and has thrown for 592 yards and six touchdowns in his last two games.

Cleveland’s last four wins have been by a total of just 16 points, but they have not trailed in the fourth quarter in any of those games. Getting a lead on Baltimore would be big, as the Ravens are not built to come from behind. Look for Cleveland to establish their running game, force Baltimore to throw, and win a low-scoring slugfest.

Score Prediction: Browns 27, Ravens 17

Picks: Browns +2.5, Under 46.5

Wager on all NFL Week 14 action on BetAmerica!