Cleveland Browns vs New Orleans Saints Matchup

Check out our week 11 Browns vs. Saints pick and preview to get our insight on to who will win and cover in New Orleans.

FOX will broadcast the week 11 non-conference matchup between the Saints and Browns, taking place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The Saints are the home team, and the Browns are technically the favorite with a money line of -104 compared to the Saints' -116. The Saints are the slight point spread favorite at -1, and the over/under line is set at 44 points.

Browns vs. Saints Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints
Where: New Orleans at Caesars Superdome
Date: Sunday, November 17th
Betting Odds NO -1, CLE -104 | NO -116 O/U 44

Browns Preview:

Heading into week 11, the Browns are 19th in our NFL power rankings and have just a 2.8% chance of making the playoffs. Cleveland is currently 2-7, which puts them 4th in the AFC North. They are 1-1 in division games and 2-3 in conference matchups. The Browns are 1-4 at home and 1-3 on the road.

After snapping a five-game losing streak with a win over the Ravens in week 8, the Browns couldn’t keep the momentum going, losing 27-10 to the Chargers in week 9. Cleveland was a 2-point underdog in that game and couldn’t cover the spread. They are 3-6 against the spread this season, with all three of their ATS wins coming as underdogs. Their O/U record is also 3-6, with their games averaging 40.1 points (41.3 O/U line).

Browns Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 11, the Browns rank 31st in our offensive power rankings, averaging 16.4 points per game, which is 26th in the NFL. They are 31st in passing yards per game (183.4) despite ranking 3rd in pass attempts. Cleveland is also 28th in rushing yards per game, with 91, and 29th in 3rd-down conversions, converting 28.7% of their attempts. However, they lead the NFL in red zone conversion percentage.

In week 9, Jameis Winston threw for 235 yards, with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions, in a loss to the Chargers. He was sacked 6 times. Nick Chubb had 39 rushing yards on 15 carries, and Cedric Tillman led the team with 6 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.

Browns Team Defense

The Browns' defense gave up 27 points in their most recent game, as the Chargers came away with a 27-10 victory. Despite the loss, the Browns' pass rush was effective, recording six sacks and hitting the quarterback more often than the Chargers. Cleveland also had two tackles for loss.

On the back end, the Browns allowed 246 passing yards on 18 completions, with two of those completions going for touchdowns. The Chargers found success on the ground, averaging 4.2 yards per attempt and finishing with 96 rushing yards.

Saints Preview:

New Orleans snapped their six-game losing streak in week 10, edging the Falcons 20-17 to improve to 3-7. The Saints entered the game as 3.5-point underdogs but managed to cover the spread with the win. The combined 37 points fell short of the 47-point line. Before this, New Orleans had lost six straight, including a 23-22 loss to the Panthers in week 9, where they failed to cover as 7-point favorites.

With the win, the Saints are 3rd in the NFC South and have a -1.9 average scoring margin. They rank 21st in our power rankings and have a 0.6% chance of winning the division and a 1.3% chance of making the playoffs. Their O/U record is 6-4, with their games averaging 47.3 points compared to a 43.4-point line.

Saints Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 11, the Saints rank 19th in our offensive power rankings. They are 13th in the NFL in points per game, averaging 22.7, and 16th in passing yards per game with 212.4. On the ground, they rank 11th in rushing attempts and 13th in rushing yards, averaging 122.4 per game. New Orleans is 16th in the league in 3rd-down conversions, with a rate of 38.2%.

Derek Carr posted a passer rating of 126 in week 10, throwing for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns. Marquez Valdes-Scantling had 3 catches for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Alvin Kamara rushed for 55 yards on 17 carries. The Saints scored all 20 of their points in the 2nd quarter against the Falcons.

Saints Team Defense

In their 20-17 win over the Falcons, the Saints' defense gave up 287 passing yards and 181 rushing yards on 32 attempts. Despite allowing 468 total yards, they kept Atlanta out of the endzone and didn't allow any passing touchdowns. New Orleans also picked off one pass and held the Falcons to a 35.7% conversion rate on third down.

The Saints' defense put pressure on the quarterback, recording three sacks and winning the QB hit differential by +8. Additionally, they had four more tackles for loss than the Falcons.

Browns vs Saints Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Browns last five road games, the team averaged 15 points per game while allowing 26. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 1-4 straight-up.
Across their five previous home games, New Orleans has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-4 while averaging 22 points per game.
The last five games that Cleveland was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 1-4 straight up.
In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Saints have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.