The Week 7 edition of Thursday Night Football features teams that have been plagued by injuries, with NFL Defensive Player of the Year front-runner Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns (3-3) hosting Teddy Bridgewater and the Denver Broncos (3-3). The Browns are coming off a 37-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, their second straight defeat, while the Broncos suffered a 34-24 drubbing at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders, their third consecutive loss. Among the notable players on the injury report are Baker Mayfield (shoulder), Kareem Hunt (calf), Nick Chubb (calf), and Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder) for the Browns, and Garett Bolles (knee), Noah Fant (foot), Melvin Gordon (hip), and Alexander Johnson (pec) for the Broncos.
Kickoff from FirstEnergy Stadium is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Cleveland is favored by 3.5 points in the latest Broncos vs. Browns odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over-Under is set at 42.5. Before locking in any Browns vs. Broncos picks, you need to check out the NFL predictions and analysis from the proven SportsLine Projection Model.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up almost $7,700 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years ago. It went a sizzling 24-14 on top-rated NFL picks last season, returning more than $800. The model also enters Week 7 of the 2021 season on an incredible 125-85 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past five years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has simulated Browns vs. Broncos 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NFL picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Browns vs. Broncos:
- Broncos vs. Browns spread: Broncos +3.5
- Broncos vs. Browns over-under: 42.5 points
- Broncos vs. Browns money line: Cleveland -175, Denver +150
- CLE: Browns are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 Thursday games
- DEN: Over is 4-1 in Broncos’ last five games following a straight-up loss
Featured Game | Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos
Why the Browns can cover
The Browns have been hit hard by the injury bug in 2021. Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin, A.J. Green, Kareem Hunt, Baker Mayfield, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Malcolm Smith, JC Tretter, and Jedrick Wills all missed practice Monday, and several other key players were listed on the team’s injury report.
If Mayfield is unable to go, the Browns will turn to veteran backup Case Keenum, who was Denver’s starting quarterback in 2018. D’Ernest Johnson is expected to get the start at running back for Cleveland.
Defensively, the Browns are in better shape, but still have several players battling nagging injuries. With Denver’s offensive line struggling, Garrett and fellow defensive end Jadeveon Clowney could have a field day.
Why the Broncos can cover
Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has played fairly well through the first six weeks of the year. Bridgewater has completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,514 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. In the Week 6 loss to the Raiders, Bridgewater had his worst game of the year, throwing three interceptions and losing one fumble.
On paper, the Broncos defense projects to be one of the better units in the league. Its performance during the team’s three-game losing streaks paints a completely different picture, though. During that stretch, the Broncos have allowed 28 points and 408 total yards per game. Short weeks are never easy, but the Broncos will undoubtedly benefit from playing against a depleted Browns roster.
How to make Broncos vs. Browns picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 45 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the model’s Broncos vs. Browns picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Browns vs. Broncos on Thursday Night Football? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Browns vs. Broncos spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $7,700 on its NFL picks, and find out.
