Ravens vs Browns Predictions and Picks for Week 8: Tillman Shows Instant Rapport With Winston

With the Cleveland Browns starting Jameis Winston under center, in a game where they'll likely be trailing, our NFL picks look to a young wide receiver to help the Browns offense stay ahead of the chains.

Rohit Ponnaiya - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Rohit Ponnaiya • Betting Analyst
Oct 25, 2024 • 17:24 ET • 4 min read

NFL

Match starts: 41 hrs
CLE
30 %
BAL
70 %
Read Analysis
Cedric Tillman Cleveland Browns NFL
Photo By - Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns welcome the Baltimore Ravens to the Dawg Pound in Week 21 of NFL action this Sunday.

Cleveland lost quarterback Deshaun Watson to a season-ending injury last week and with Jameis Winston taking over, my Ravens vs. Browns predictions are betting on a young wide receiver to step up.

Here are my best free NFL picks for this AFC North rivalry game on October 26 at Huntington Bank Field at 1:00 p.m., live on CBS. 

Ravens vs Browns predictions & picks

Spread

This spread got as high as Ravens -11.5 before money poured in on the Browns bringing that number down to -8.5. That isn't surprising since Jameis Winston is being viewed as an upgrade from Deshaun Watson and this is a lot of points to spot a home team in a divisional rivalry. If you didn't get the Browns above the key number of 10, I'd stay away from betting on this spread.

Moneyline

The Ravens have slimmed from -650 to -450 on the moneyline but there's still no value in betting that number. The Browns are +350 on the ML which offers some upside as a home underdog in a rivalry game. Especially since the Ravens could be without their top WR in Zay Flowers and best CB in Marlon Humphrey. Keep in mind that the Browns upset the Ravens as 6-point underdogs when they previously clashed last November in Baltimore.

Over/Under

The total has ticked up to 44.5 from the opening number of 42.5. Winston should be better than Watson who was 28th among 31 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA+CPOE. Nick Chubb should also be better in his second game back following a season-ending knee injury and Cleveland's line is getting healthier as well. 

My Ravens vs Browns best bet

Cedric Tillman Over 38.5 receiving yards (-115 at BetMGM)

My analysis

With the Baltimore Ravens installed as 8.5-point chalk, there's a strong chance that the Cleveland Browns will play with a negative game script and be forced to air the ball out with Jameis Winston. Winston is turnover-prone but has a strong arm and isn't afraid to attack downfield which will benefit receivers like Cedric Tillman.

Cleveland traded away No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper before last week's game against the Bengals and Tillman stepped into the starting role logging 82% of the offensive snaps. He ended up seeing 12 targets and hauled in eight of them for 81 yards. Winston took over on the final drive of the game and connected with Tillman on a 25-yard throw while also finding him in the end zone for a two-point conversion. 

Tillman was drafted in the third round last year after an injury-plagued senior season at Tennessee. He was terrific as a junior, however, racking up 1,081 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in the always-tough SEC. 

The Ravens are 28th in the league in defensive dropback EPA and it looks like they'll likely be without top corner Marlon Humphrey who has missed practice this week with a knee injury.

Ravens vs Browns same-game parlay

Cedric Tillman Over 38.5 receiving yards

Alt Total Over 39.5

Ravens Alt spread -6.5

The Browns were first in the league in defensive EPA last year but rank a modest 17th this year. They were shredded by the Commanders who do similar things to this Ravens offense that has averaged 35 ppg over their last five contest.

Flowers hasn't suited up in practice due to an ankle injury which is the primary reason I'm not more bullish on the Over 44.5. That said, I'll gladly play the Over 39.5 and parlay it with taking the Ravens under a touchdown.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

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Ravens vs Browns odds

Ravens vs Browns live odds

Ravens vs Browns opening odds

  • Spread: Baltimore -9.5 | Cleveland +9.5
  • Moneyline: Baltimore -550 | Cleveland +400
  • Over/Under: Over 42.5 | Under 42.5

Odds courtesy of BetMGM

Ravens vs Browns betting trend to know

The Ravens have covered the first-half spread in 15 of their last 22 games (+7.10 Units / 29% ROI). Find more NFL betting trends for Ravens vs. Browns.

How to watch Ravens vs Browns

Location: Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland, OH
Date: Sunday, 10-27, 2024
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS

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Betting Analyst

With a background playing soccer, rugby, and boxing, combined with a journalism degree, it's little surprise that Rohit gravitated towards the world of sports betting. He specializes in betting on UFC and college basketball, two sports where the eyeball test can tell you a lot more about matchups than any analytics. Rohit has years of experience handicapping NFL and NBA games as well as niche betting markets such as politics and Oscar odds. He's also the resident CFL expert and formerly hosted "The Chez and Ro Show" with former CFL star Davis Sanchez.

You can catch Rohit breaking down every UFC event with Joe Osborne on "P4P Picks" on the Covers YouTube channel and he also has regular appearances on "Before You Bet" with Joe. In addition, he's a regular guest on "By The Book" on the Monumental Sports Network and makes guest appearances on VSIN's "The Handle" and CBS Sports.

Rohit primarily makes his bets at bet365, which offers a wide variety of prop markets, but also has accounts at several others so he can shop around for the best prices. For Rohit, bankroll management is key. He believes you should never bet what you can't afford to lose and maximize those few betting opportunities where books misprice a line.

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