The Browns have been a pleasant surprise midway through the NFL season, sitting at 5-3 and in the thick of a tight AFC North race.
With Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol most of the week, Todd Monken and Co. will have a new starting quarterback under center, Shedeur Sanders.
Coming off their bye week, the Saints are still chasing their first home victory of the season following an unexpected 0-3 start at Caesars Superdome.
The Saints will look to snap their home winless streak, and oddsmakers have tabbed them as 3-point favorites, with a total of 43.5 points.
Browns vs. Saints prediction, best bet
Laying a short line with New Orleans at home against a backup feels like an easy pick, but Kellen Moore’s unit has some internal flaws that must be patched up first.
Shough has done the best he can behind a shaky New Orleans offensive line, but coming out of the Bye, the Saints rank only 30th in explosive-play percentage at 6.6%, per NFL Savant.
The Saints are also one of the worst teams at generating rushing opportunities, ranking 28th in rushing yards at 86 yards per game. The Browns do allow 126.9 yards on the ground per game, with that average skyrocketing to 147.6 on the road, but trusting a team that just fired its run game coordinator and enters with multiple coaching changes doesn’t seem logical.
Shough may have rookie Jordyn Tyson back, but Cleveland is stout at defending the pass. The Browns’ secondary ranks sixth in passing yards allowed (196.6) and features one of the best lockdown corners in Denzel Ward, who’ll look to stop Chris Olave in the slot.
Every spotlight will be on Sanders as he prepares to make his season debut.
Browns offensive coordinator Travis Switzer won’t expect a perfect game from Sanders, but how he fares behind a front that allowed Watson to get sacked an NFL-worst 33 times through eight games remains to be seen.
The second-year quarterback will try to attack a Saints defense that ranks 28th in yards per play (5.78) and is extremely vulnerable, allowing 27.2 points per game.
While Sanders managed a 3-4 record last season, it remains unclear how he will handle a road start after a full offseason mastering the offense. One thing is certain, Sanders established a reliable target in tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who stands out as a strong player prop target.
Over nine games with Sanders under center, Fannin Jr. averaged 5.2 receptions on 7.8 targets for 60 yards per game, along with seven touchdowns total.
Betting on the NFL?
Coming off consecutive 100-plus yard performances, he gets a favorable matchup against a New Orleans defense that has surrendered a score to tight ends in back-to-back weeks.
The Saints are getting healthier, but both teams have questionable offensive lines and poor run defenses.
I’m also willing to take the Under in a game that could be insanely entertaining—or a turnover fest decided by each team’s kicker.
The Play: Under 42.5 total points (-110, Fanatics Sportsbook) | Harold Fannin Jr. Over 44.5 receiving yards (+104, Kalshi)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
