The New York Jets and Cleveland Browns were unable to start their 2022 season with the quarterbacks they’d initially envisioned they would, and the results were mixed.
Gang Green was forced to roll with Joe Flacco as a result of Zach Wilson‘s preseason knee injury, which is expected to keep him out at least two more games. Flacco threw for 307 yards in a 24-9 loss to his old Ravens squad in Week 1, but he averaged just 5.2 yards per attempt and couldn’t move New York consistently.
The Browns trotted out Jacoby Brissett against the Panthers for the first installment of what’s expected to be an 11-game starting stint in place of Deshaun Watson (suspension). Cleveland came away with a 26-24 victory thanks to a game-winning 58-yard field goal by rookie Cade York.
However, Brissett threw for just 147 yards at 4.3 yards per attempt and finished with a QBR of 38.1.
This is, therefore, a battle of two teams who are likely to lean heavily on the run as long as the game is close and also rely plenty on their veteran signal-callers to not turn the ball over, which could naturally lead to a lower-scoring game.
Let’s dive into our Jets vs Browns betting picks and predictions for Week 2.
Jets vs Browns Odds
The line for this game has inched further in the direction of the Browns following Week 1 results. Cleveland was a five-point favorite at many sportsbooks upon initial early release of Week 2 lines, but that’s since crawled up to Browns -6 after they recorded a spirited Week 1 win against the Panthers and the Jets turned in the aforementioned flat performance versus Baltimore.
The slate-low projected total of 40 points isn’t surprising, either, when considering the two quarterbacks leading the respective offenses at the moment. Also adding to the low total is Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski’s propensity to lean heavily on the run irrespective of who’s under center.
Take a look at the best Jets odds and Browns odds for the 2022 NFL season.
Jets vs Browns Implied Score
Browns 23, Jets 17
Oddsmakers clearly don’t expect much improvement from the Jets’ offense against what should once again be a strong Cleveland defense this season. Their occasional stumble against the Panthers notwithstanding, the Browns still unleashed plenty of disruption while recording four sacks, an interception, and forcing five fumbles.
Meanwhile, the Jets actually did a solid job against Lamar Jackson on the ground (6-17) and yielded just 13 first downs and 274 total yards to Baltimore. Gang Green also shut down Baltimore’s conventional running game, limiting the trio of Kenyan Drake, Mike Davis, and Justice Hill to 46 yards on 15 carries.
Jets vs Browns Pick of the Day
Read more on this Jets vs Browns bet below.
Jets vs Browns Matchup
The Jets’ offense didn’t inspire much confidence in Week 1, as has already been established, and the matchup against the Browns isn’t likely to facilitate significant improvement. Flacco is a veteran who’s certainly well-versed in making game-to-game adjustments, and he does have a talented group of playmakers to work with.
Rookies Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson should get better with each passing week, and Flacco also has Michael Carter (100 total yards in Week 1), Corey Davis (6-77 on nine targets against Baltimore), and Elijah Moore, among others, at his disposal.
The Browns also have their share of big names on offense. Two of the biggest, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, excelled in the opener with 141 rushing yards (Chubb) and two touchdowns (Hunt).
It’s also possible Stefanski gives Brissett some more leeway through the air in this matchup after big offseason addition Amari Cooper finished with just three receptions for 17 yards on six targets.
The balance likely afforded by Chubb and Hunt could help facilitate some of the single coverage that could benefit Cooper and speedy receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who paced Cleveland with a 6-60 line versus the Panthers.
Jets vs Browns Prediction
Browns 24, Jets 20
This game could well shape up as a war of attrition between each team’s big guys up front. There’s little doubt Stefanski will once again turn plenty to Chubb and Hunt, who combined for 33 carries that netted 187 yards in Week 1. The Jets’ impressive showing against the Ravens ground game seemingly gives New York a chance to hold its own versus Cleveland in this area, but the boost in the caliber of competition Gang Green will be facing is significant.
On the other side, Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh could try to boost the workloads of his high-upside 1-2 backfield punch of Hall and Carter. The duo combined for 83 yards on 16 totes in Week 1.
The Browns limited Christian McCaffrey to just 3.3 yards per carry in the opener and allowed 99 rushing yards per game at home last season. Therefore, it may take a bit of stubbornness on Saleh’s part and some success from Flacco through the air versus a Browns’ defense that didn’t allow much outside of a couple of big plays versus Carolina to finally break through on the ground.
Ultimately, I see this as a game in which the Browns are more successful at wearing down the Jets’ front than vice versa and also doing a better job of protecting the ball. While each team will be able to make its way down the field a few times and Flacco will look a bit smoother than in Week 1, the improvement won’t be enough to avoid a relatively close loss.
Jets vs Browns Bet Tips
The Browns were a sub-standard home team against the spread last season, furnishing just a 3-6 mark. Cleveland’s net ATS +/- was -4.2 points in that split, further underscoring their difficulties in covering despite the home-field edge.
The Jets were certainly no great shakes themselves against the number on the road during Saleh’s first season with a 2-5 record in that split. However, the talent has been upgraded overall, and the fact New York is facing a team that’s unlikely to pull away from them with a pretty elevated spread gives the Jets a shot to buck last season’s trend.
With respect to the particularly low total, the Over was only a combined 6-10 for the two teams last season in the home/road splits that apply Sunday. However, this is an especially modest number for a game that has as many impressive skill-position players on either side.
Jets vs Browns Best Bets
Jets +6 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
While I expect the Browns to end the afternoon with a home victory, it will likely be difficult for them to do so by a large margin given their typically preferred style of offensive play and solid Jets defense.
New York should be much more capable of playing close games more consistently in Year 2 of Saleh’s tenure given the talent upgrades. I believe they have enough here to get that accomplished despite the tough matchup against the Browns’ defense on paper, leading me in the direction of the Jets sliding under the number.
Over 40 points (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Given what’s already been established about each team’s assorted group of skill-position assets, this is a number I believe can be at least slightly eclipsed.
While likely run-centric approaches by both coaches have the potential to limit the number of possessions each team sees, there are enough players with home-run qualities on either side that can pick up large chunks of yardage with one touch to help mitigate that effect and still let some points pile up.
Jets vs Browns Props
Check back later this week once props are released for the best Jets-Browns player props to consider
Jets vs Browns Parlays
Browns Moneyline and Over 40 points (+164) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
This parlay stems from the previously stated convictions that the Browns win a game with a total in the mid-40s. It also allows us to circumvent the very heavy juice on the straight Browns moneyline bet, which carries a price of -260 as of Tuesday.
