The Washington Redskins may have been winless heading into Week 3, but this past weekend they showed the online NFL betting community that it’s still too early to rule out the reigning NFC East Champions. Entering Sunday’s game against the Redskins, the New York Giants – whom had yet to lose a game – were confident that they could beat their NFC East rivals. Heading into last Sunday’s game, the Giants were pegged as the favorites, mostly because Washington had yet to win a game. The contest proved to be hard-fought and emotions were running high, just ask Odell Beckham Jr. who was caught teary eyed after his quarterback threw an interception. While it might be a little evil to get a laugh out of Beckham’s misery, it’s almost impossible not to chuckle. In losing the Giants missed their opportunity to remain tied with the Eagles atop the NFC East. In winning Washington was able to get their first W of the season, as well as keep their playoff hopes alive. Now with a win in their pocket the Redskins should be able to pick up some momentum, especially against their Week 4 opponent, the Cleveland Browns. Washington picked up their first win of the season last week; will they return the favor to Cleveland this Sunday? Or is Washington the wiser pick for you online football bet for this upcoming weekend?
Week 4 – Sunday the 2nd of October
Browns +7½ (-115) 46½ (-110) +295
Redskins -7½ (-105) 46½ (-110) -360
Coming as no surprise, the online NFL betting odds are painting the winless Browns as the vast underdogs in yet another matchup. Cleveland hasn’t had a winning record since the 2007 season, and the way they have been playing so far, it doesn’t seem like they’ll be snapping that streak this year. The Browns are currently averaging a lousy 18 points per game, which ranks them 26th in the league. Cleveland has been able to run the ball pretty efficiently, as they’re currently averaging 144.7 yards per contest – the 4th best average in the NFL. Unfortunately, Cleveland hasn’t been able to translate success on the ground into success on the scoreboard. A large part of that can be attributed to Cleveland’s defense which ranks near the bottom of the league in every important stat. Cleveland’s opponents gain an average of 28.0 points per game, meaning that the Browns have the 25th worse defense in the league.
Unlike Cleveland, the Redskins aren’t having too many problems on offense. Washington currently ranks 18th in the league for points per game, 5th for total yards per game, and 2nd for passing yards per game. They haven’t been as successful at running the ball, and there’s no doubt that if they had been they would be sitting with a better record than 1-2. Coming off the best year of his career, Kirk Cousins isn’t quite finding the rhythm he had last year. Heading into this contest Cousins sports an 86.4 passer rating, which is average at best. But since the Browns are without RG3 and Josh McCown is filling in, average should be enough for the Redskins to win this Sunday. Who knows when the day will come where the Browns are favored by online NFL betting odds? All I know is that it is not today.
