Cleveland Browns vs Denver Broncos Matchup

In this week 13 NFL regular season preview between Browns and Broncos, see who like to win the game and cover the spread.

The Browns and Broncos will face off on Monday, December 2nd at 8:15 ET on ESPN. The Broncos are favored by -5.5 points in this week 13 AFC matchup, with the money line odds at -240 for the Broncos and +197 for the Browns. The over/under line is set at 42 points for this game, which is being played at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.

Browns vs. Broncos Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos
Where: Denver at Empower Field at Mile High
Date: Monday, December 2nd
Betting Odds DEN -5.5, CLE +197 | DEN -240 O/U 42

Browns Preview:

After snapping a three-game losing streak with a 24-19 win over the Steelers in week 12, the Browns now sit at 3-8 on the season. This includes a 2-1 record in division games, but they still rank 4th in the AFC North. Heading into week 13, our power rankings have Cleveland 21st, and they have just a 1.0% chance of making the playoffs.

Against the spread, the Browns are 4-7, with all four of their wins coming as underdogs. Their average scoring margin is -7.4 points per game. Cleveland’s O/U record is 5-6, with the over hitting in their last two games.

Browns Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 13, the Browns rank 31st in our offensive power rankings. They are 28th in points per game (16.9) and 29th in total yards per game (292.5). Despite being 3rd in passing attempts, they are 21st in passing yards per game (204.3). On the ground, Cleveland ranks 26th in rushing attempts and 29th in rushing yards per game, averaging 88.2. They are last in the NFL in 3rd-down conversions, with a 27% success rate, but lead the league in red zone conversion percentage at 66.7%.

In week 12, the Browns scored 14 points in the 4th quarter to beat the Steelers, 24-19. Jameis Winston threw for 219 yards on 18/27 passing, with 1 interception. Nick Chubb had 20 carries for 59 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Jerry Jeudy led the team with 6 catches for 85 yards. Cleveland struggled on 3rd down, converting just 1 of 10 attempts, but they scored on 3 of 4 red zone trips.

Browns Team Defense

In their 24-19 win over the Steelers, the Browns' defense gave up 120 rushing yards on 34 attempts. They allowed 248 passing yards, with Pittsburgh completing 72.4% of their passes. Despite this, the Browns' defense made life difficult on the Steelers, sacking the quarterback four times and hitting them three more times than they were hit.

Cleveland's defense also won the tackles for loss battle, coming out ahead by 10 in that category. On third downs, the Browns allowed the Steelers to convert 43.8% of their chances.

Broncos Preview:

After two straight wins, the Broncos are now 7-5 this season, putting them 3rd in the AFC West. Denver has a 63.1% chance of making the playoffs, according to our projections. They rank 23rd in our NFL power rankings heading into week 13.

Against the spread, the Broncos are 9-3, including three consecutive wins. They covered as 5.5-point favorites in their week 12 win over the Raiders. Their O/U record is 7-5 this season, with their games averaging 38.8 points.

Broncos Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 13, the Broncos rank 22nd in our offensive power rankings. They are 18th in the NFL in points per game, averaging 22, and 23rd in yards per game with 313.5. Denver is 13th in passing attempts per game, but 22nd in passing yards, averaging 201.9. On the ground, they rank 19th in rushing attempts and 23rd in rushing yards, with 111.6 per game. They rank 21st in the league in 3rd-down conversion percentage (37.3%) and 22nd in red zone conversion percentage, despite ranking 7th in red zone attempts. The Broncos have struggled early in games, ranking 25th in 1st-quarter scoring.

Bo Nix has been solid under center, throwing for 273 yards and 2 touchdowns in week 12, without an interception. In week 11, he threw for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns, following a 215-yard, 2-touchdown performance in week 10. Courtland Sutton has been his top target, catching 8 passes for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns in week 12. Before that, he had 7 catches for 78 yards in week 11 and 6 catches for 70 yards in week 10.

Broncos Team Defense

The Broncos' defense played well in their most recent game, coming up with five sacks and holding the Raiders to a 28.6% third-down conversion rate. Despite giving up 300 passing yards, they limited Las Vegas to 69 rushing yards on just 16 attempts. Denver also defended the pass well, allowing only one touchdown and holding the Raiders to a 58.5% completion rate.

Denver's defense also came up with one interception and held the Raiders to 19 points in their 29-19 win. The Broncos' pass rush was effective, leading to a positive quarterback hit differential of +8 in the game.

Browns vs Broncos Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road games, Cleveland has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 0-3 while averaging 14 points per game.
In their last three home games, Denver has averaged 17 points per game while allowing 25. The team's record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Browns have a strong straight up record of 2-1. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.
Denver has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.