Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs Matchup

Check out our week 15 Chiefs vs. Browns pick and preview to get our insight on to who will win and cover in Cleveland.

With a money line of -219, the Chiefs are favored on the road as they take on the Browns at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 15th. The Chiefs are the favorite on the point spread as well, with Kansas City's record being needed. The Browns' money line odds are +182, and the point spread is in favor of the Chiefs by -4.5 points. The game, an AFC matchup, is being televised on CBS, and the over/under line is set at 45.5 points.

Chiefs vs. Browns Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns
Where: Cleveland at Huntington Bank Field
Date: Sunday, December 15th
Betting Odds KC -4.5, KC -219 | CLE +182 O/U 45.5

Chiefs Preview:

At 12-1, the Chiefs sit atop the AFC standings and have a 100% chance of winning the AFC West and making the playoffs. They rank 6th in our NFL power rankings and have won three straight since their week 11 loss to the Bills, including a 19-17 win over the Chargers in week 14. Kansas City couldn’t cover the 4.5-point spread in that game, and they are 0-7 against the spread in their last seven games.

The Chiefs are 4-8-1 against the spread this season, with a +4.3 scoring margin. Their O/U record is 6-7, with the under hitting in their last two games. Their games average 43.1 points, while the O/U line has averaged 44.5.

Chiefs Offense Breakdown

Patrick Mahomes has posted three consecutive interception-free games heading into week 15, with his most recent performance against the Chargers featuring 210 passing yards and a touchdown on 24 of 37 passing. In week 13, he threw for 306 yards and a touchdown, and in week 12, he recorded a passer rating of 120 with 269 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, Mahomes has faced some pressure, taking 13 sacks over these three games.

Travis Kelce led the Chiefs in receiving in week 14 with 45 yards on 5 catches. Before that, DeAndre Hopkins had 90 yards in week 13, and Noah Gray had a 66-yard, 2-touchdown game in week 12. Isiah Pacheco led the rushing attack in week 14 with 55 yards on 14 carries.

Chiefs Team Defense

Despite allowing the Chargers to convert on 46.2% of their third down attempts, the Chiefs' defense played well in their most recent game, helping them to a 19-17 win. They limited the Chargers to 94 rushing yards on 24 attempts and held them to 194 passing yards. The Chiefs' defense also came up with three sacks and held the Chargers to just one touchdown.

Overall, the Chiefs gave up 288 yards and allowed the Chargers to complete 70% of their passes. Kansas City also won the tackles for loss battle, finishing with a positive differential of +5.

Browns Preview:

Heading into week 15, the Browns are 3-10 and rank 21st in our power rankings. They have a -7.9 scoring margin and are 4-9 against the spread. Cleveland is 0-4 ATS as favorites and 4-5 as underdogs. Their O/U record is 6-7, with their games averaging 43.6 points compared to a 41.3-point line.

After beating the Steelers in week 12, the Browns have lost two straight, including a 27-14 defeat to Pittsburgh in week 14. They couldn’t cover the 6-point spread, and the 41 combined points fell short of the 42.5-point line. In week 13, Cleveland lost 41-32 to the Broncos.

Browns Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 15, the Browns rank 31st in our offensive power rankings. They lead the league in passing attempts per game (39.4) but are 15th in passing yards, averaging 224.5 per game. Jameis Winston threw for 212 yards (24/41) in week 14, with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Jerry Jeudy led the team with 5 catches for 64 yards, following his 235-yard performance in week 13.

On the ground, Cleveland ranks 30th in rushing yards per game, with 88.5, on 23 attempts per game (26th). Nick Chubb had 48 yards on 11 carries in week 14. The Browns are 29th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversions, with a 28.3% success rate, going just 2/13 in their last game.

Browns Team Defense

In their 27-14 loss to the Steelers, the Browns' defense gave up 147 passing yards on just 15 completions, but two of those completions went for touchdowns. They held Pittsburgh to 267 total yards and 120 rushing yards on 35 attempts. The Browns' defense also allowed a 42.9% third-down conversion rate to the Steelers.

Cleveland's defense managed just one sack in the game and allowed the Steelers to convert on 57.7% of their third downs. Despite this, the Browns did win the quarterback hit battle and had one more hit on the quarterback than the Steelers.

Chiefs vs Browns Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Chiefs last five road games, the team averaged 24 points per game while allowing 21. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-3-1, while going 4-1 straight-up.
Through their last three home contests, the Browns offense has averaged 20 points per game while allowing an average of 34. Cleveland posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 0-3 ATS.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Browns have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
In their last three contests as the favorite, Kansas City has a poor record vs the spread going 0-3. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 3-0.