Sunday’s Chicago Bears-Cleveland Browns matchup features some interesting dynamics that would’ve seemed implausible back in Week 1.
The 8-5 Browns are the fifth seed in the AFC as they trudge onward with their fourth different starting quarterback this season in 38-year-old Joe Flacco.
Meanwhile, last year’s league-worst Bears sit at 5-8 and are only one game out of the NFC playoff hunt after winning two straight. It’s not exactly how anyone drew it up, but here we are.
Let’s take a look at the NFL Week 15 odds for this game and find some value.
Bears vs Browns Odds
NFL odds used for this Chicago vs Cleveland preview were found at DraftKings Sportsbook and are current as of Wednesday, December 13, at 10 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Browns (-175) • Bears (+145)
- Spread: Browns -3.5 (-102) • Bears +3.5 (-118)
- Total Points: Over 37.5 (-112) • Under 37.5 (-108)
- Implied Score: Browns 20.5, Bears 17
Bears vs Browns Predictions
Score Pick: Browns 23, Bears 16
Despite the Bears’ recent win streak (which includes winning three of their last four), the Browns are clearly the better team and enter this game 6-1 at home.
After two rough losses to the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams, the Browns look to have righted the ship against the Jaguars last week and, in turn, named Flacco their starter for the rest of the season.
They just lost left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. for the season (add him to the list alongside Nick Chubb and Deshaun Watson), but they’ll still be able to fall back on a defense that is allowing a league-best 263 yards per game.
While the Bears (and specifically Justin Fields) have looked much better as of late, they’re 2-5 on the road and will likely struggle to move the ball on the Browns. Chicago’s defense is much improved as of late, but Chicago is going to have a tough time putting up enough points to steal this one in Cleveland.
Bears vs Browns Best Bets & Props
Browns -3.5 (-102)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 2 units
Vegas likes the Bears a little more than I do in this game, as it more or less handicapped this as a toss-up (I’m guessing because of the Flacco factor).
However, Flacco has looked surprisingly good, with a 5-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in two games, and the Browns have been excellent at home, so I’m locking this in as my NFL bet of the day for two units.
It’s also worth noting that you can get an alternate spread on DraftKings for -4.5 at +104 odds if you’re feeling a little frisky.
Bears Under 16.5 (+100)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
The Bears don’t have the worst offense in the league, but it is still in the bottom half with an average of just 20.8 points per game.
And while Fields has looked a lot better as of late, Chicago has scored 17 points or fewer in four of its last six games.
You can get better odds as you drop down in points, but I like the odds enough to go in on the Bears scoring Under 17 against one of the best defenses in the league.
Browns Race to 20 Points (+110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
The Browns scored 19 points in Flacco’s first start, and they scored 31 points in his second – and both of those totals came against teams that allow fewer (or the same) points per game than the Bears.
That doesn’t automatically translate to the Browns scoring 20-plus points in this game, but I like the plus odds enough to take the plunge of Flacco pushing the Browns to at least what Vegas has as its implied score.
Bears vs Browns Same-Game Parlay
Bears vs Browns SGP (+206)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 2 units
- Browns Race to 20 Points (+110)
- Browns -4.5 (+104)
- Bears Under 17.5 (-130)
I played around with a few alternate spreads and Bears team totals to get to +206 odds on this one.
While there’s always the possibility that the Browns lay an egg or the Bears somehow put up big points on the Browns’ defense (it’s the NFL!), these bets seem relatively safe given the way Vegas is handicapping this game. And I’ll always take +206 if we’re in “relatively safe” territory.
