It’s been more than 8 years since online NFL betting fans have had the pleasure of seeing a team go 0-16. The Detroit Lions did it back in 2008, but before them you’d have to go back to 1982 to see a winless team (Baltimore Colts). With those two dates in mind, it’s safe to say that seeing a team finish the season without a win is certainly not a frequent event. While some fans might be excited to see history made, Cleveland’s fans could not be more disappointed about the shame their football program is bringing the state. The Browns’ have performed so poorly through the first 5 weeks of the season, that some of Cleveland’s residents decided to conduct a state wide poll asking citizens if they thought the Browns would also lose to the Ohio State Buckeyes. 63% of Ohioans answered with a yes; the Buckeyes would indeed beat the Cleveland Browns. Scott Van Pelt, an ESPN analyst, grilled the entire state of Ohio – or more specifically the 63% that voted yes – for actually believing that a collegiate team would be able to upset a professional football team. Sure the Browns have appeared measly, but they were competitive in most of their games and actually came close to winning some. Bottom line, these are professional athletes who eat, breathe, and sleep football. The Buckeyes may be good, but you can’t compete with the time and effort that professional athletes put into their careers.
As much as Ohio would like to see the Browns face off against the Buckeyes in Week 6, Cleveland faces a much tougher opponent, the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are coming off a win over the Dolphins this past weekend; will that be enough for most football betting sites to peg Tennessee as the favorites this Sunday?
Week 6 – Sunday the 16th of October
Titans -6 ½ (-110) 47 (-110) -260
Browns +6 ½ (-110) 47 (-110) +260
The online NFL betting odds are definitely siding with Tennessee, but it might have to do more with the Browns’ problems at quarterback than the Titans beating the Dolphins. For those who haven’t been following the Browns’ injury report, the list is surprisingly full of quarterbacks. RGIII didn’t last through the first week, and veteran Josh McCown only lasted one game. Cody Kessler lasted three games before getting injured, and Charlie Whitehurst had to come in to finish this past weekend’s game against New England. But to add insult to injury, Whitehurst also sustained an injury in that game. He was able to return, but still it’s almost too perfect.
Unlike the Browns, the Titans have remained injury free at the quarterback position. Marcus Mariota had a great season as a rookie, but had been struggling through the first 4 weeks of 2016. This past weekend Mariota found his rhythm against the Dolphins and finished the day going 20/29 for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Those are pretty great numbers, and with the Browns having the 25th worst pass defense in the league, Mariota is likely to have a field day this Sunday. With that in mind, the Titans’ are clear online NFL betting favorites over the Browns.
