December 14, 2024

Prediction, Preview, and Odds
#461 Cleveland Browns vs.
#462 Houston Texans
Sunday, December 24, 2023 at 1:00pm EST
NRG Stadium, Houston

The Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans will play on Sunday at NRG Stadium. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Cleveland (9-5 SU, 9-5 ATS, and 7-6-1 O/U) beat Chicago 20-17 and Houston (8-6 SU, 7-7 ATS, and 5-9 O/U) beat Tennessee 19-16.

The Browns are 2.5-point spread favorites and the game total is 40 points.

Injury Report
Browns: RB Kareem Hunt, G Wyatt Teller, OT Geron Christian, S Juan Thornhill, LB Anthony Walker Jr., DE Ogbo Okoronkwo, C Ethan Pocic, LB Jordan Kunaszyk, G Joel Bitonio, and CB Mike Ford are questionable.

Texans: DE Will Anderson Jr., S Jimmie Ward, WR John Metchie III, TE Brevin Jordan, WR Noah Brown, WR Nico Collins, QB C.J. Stroud, OT Laremy Tunsil, LB Denzel Perryman, G Shaq Mason, DYMaliek Collins, and LB Blake Cashman are questionable.

Get to Know Mike!
I am your trusted handicapper at Winners and Whiners! My best bet and season subscription packages are up for grabs on my premium package page. I have been offering exclusive free NFL predictions all season! Don’t miss out — you can keep in the loop on my Twitter!

Cleveland is stout on third down
Cleveland scores 22.1 points per game (12th) and averages 330.0 total yards (17th), including 206.3 passing yards (21st) and 123.7 rushing yards (10th). It converts 31.0 percent of its third downs (30th) and finds the end zone on 53.8 percent of its red zone trips (16th). QB Joe Flacco has given this team a lift as last week, he threw three picks, but led the Browns to the game-winning drive against the Bears.
The Browns surrender 20.6 points per game (12th) and their opponents average 261.1 total yards (1st), including 158.9 passing yards (1st) and 102.2 rushing yards (11th). They have 41 sacks and 14 interceptions this season. Cleveland’s opponents convert 28.3 percent of their third-down attempts (1st) and score touchdowns on 68.5 percent of their trips to the red zone (30th).

 

If you want to make more money, check out the best betting sites anywhere.

Today’s Top Expert Picks
from our Sponsors (Your content continues below)
Graham Wesley
3 Day Premium Play Pass
Get a 3 day pass of our PREMIUM plays! Unit ratings for strength and money management, 1 on 1 access to a trusted sports betting advisor.

Johnny Zo
**Saturday 2 Team NFL Parlay
NFL on a Saturday! What could be better than this? Bet these two games straight then parlay on the side for the big come up!

Adam Smith
Rest of Season Football w/MB Guarantee
Get top-rated NFL and NCAAF picks through the rest of the regular season, bowls and NFL Playoffs, with confidence ratings. Win or your money back!

More

Houston’s defense is tough to run on
Houston averages 21.9 points (15th) and 353.7 total yards (10th) per game, including 253.4 passing yards (5th) and 100.3 rushing yards (21st). It converts 38.8 percent of its third-down attempts (16th) and scores touchdowns on 52.1 percent of its red zone trips (21st). Stroud is out for this game which means Case Keenum will likely get the star again. WR Nico Collins (calf) is expected to return this week, though rookie DE Willie Anderson Jr. (ankle) is out.
The Texans’ defense gives up 21.1 points (15th) and 332.6 total yards (16th) per game, including 239.1 passing yards (25th) and 93.5 rushing yards (6th). They have 38 sacks and 12 interceptions. Houston’s opponents convert 38.8 percent of their third downs (18th) and score on 54.5 percent of their visits to the red zone (15th).

 

Want more winners in college basketball? Check out our Expert Picks!

Saturday’s Top Plays
Today’s Top Plays
Tom Macrina – 11-1 NFL Run – Snag Tom’s Saturday NFL Super Best Bet For Just $29 – CLICK HERE

Trent Pruitt – 8-0-1 CFB Run – Snatch up Trent’s CFB Bowl Game Of The Day For Just $29 – CLICK HERE

Will Rogers – 9-4 CBB Run – Grab Will’s CBB Best Bet For Just $30 – CLICK HERE

Brick Haus Sports – 14-5-2 CFB Run – Snag Bricks CFB Mega Best Bet For Just $29 – CLICK HERE

David Hess – 10-3 NHL Totals Run – Grab David’s NHL Totals Destroyer For Just $29 -CLICK HERE

Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status: INACTIVE
Join for free today to get access!

Rating:
The Texans are banged up, with DE Will Anderson (ankle) and QB CJ Stroud (concussion) among the questionable players listed on the team’s lengthy injury report. If you’re wondering why the Browns are favored on the road, Stroud’s likely absence is the reason. Veteran QB Case Keenum led Houston to a 19-16 victory last weekend but had fewer than 200 passing yards in regulation, averaging just 5.4 yards per passing attempt against a poor Titans pass defense.

The Browns’ defense has been the catalyst to the team’s success this season, but the unit has not performed well on the road, surrendering an NFL-worst 30.7 PPG compared to just 13.1 PPG at home. That figures to change, though, as Cleveland’s defense is too talented to struggle so much on the road. Keenum is in for a challenge against the league’s best pass defense, as Cleveland’s pass rush is also intimidating (7th-most sacks). The Texans are banged up on the offensive line and at receiver, with Tank Dell out and Nico Collins and Noah Brown limited in practice.

Don’t be surprised if they’re in an early hole, as the Browns rank first in success rate during the first quarter, and Houston ranks 25th. Cleveland will ride that momentum to a win and cover on Sunday in Houston.

Prediction: Browns -2.5
Want a second opinion on this pick?
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status: INACTIVE
Join for free today to get access!

Rating:
Betting Trend: The under is 7-2 in the Texans’ last nine home games.

I’m placing a wager on the under at 40 in Sunday’s Browns-Texans game.

Both teams are limited offensively, but especially Houston. The Texans are going to have problems blocking the Browns’ pass rushers given their injuries and they’re banged up at receiver, too. Stroud is unlikely to play for the second straight week due to a concussion, which puts the ball in the game manager Keenum’s hands. I don’t predict more than 17 points from the home team this week.

Cleveland could also struggle to run the football against Houston’s sixth-ranked run defense. RBs Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt are dealing with wrist and groin injuries, too. Joe Flacco has done a nice job since taking over as QB1, but he’s been far from perfect (three INTs last week). He was sacked four times against the Bears, as well. Bettors should expect a sloppy, low-scoring game between these teams this Sunday.

Prediction: Under 40
Written By Michael Briggs , “Michael Briggs”
Mike Briggs is a passionate sports fan and writer, earning his B.A. in Journalism. In 2020, he moved across the country from New Jersey to San Diego to satisfy his lifelong obsession of living near an MLB stadium. As a proud MSU basketball supporter, Mike believes he’s learned a lot watching coach Tom Izzo lead the Spartans to Big Ten titles and Final Fours regularly. He’s also well-read on the NBA, having a subscription to SLAM magazine, the famed “basketball bible,” since he was a teenager. Mike spends his free time strategizing futures bets and researching opportunities to make a few bucks on tonight’s game. You can follow Mike on Twitter @BriggsWrites for sports betting, DFS, and stock trading tips.

 

 

First Bet Offer get up to $1500 paid back in Bonus Bets if you don’t win

Quick Game Navigation
Sunday, 12/24/2023
NFL
1;00PM EST
#457 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
#458 ATLANTA FALCONS
Line
1;00PM EST
#459 GREEN BAY PACKERS
#460 CAROLINA PANTHERS
Line
1;00PM EST
#461 CLEVELAND BROWNS
#462 HOUSTON TEXANS
Line
1;00PM EST
#463 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
#464 TENNESSEE TITANS
Line
1;00PM EST
#465 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
#466 NEW YORK JETS
Line
1;00PM EST
#467 DETROIT LIONS
#468 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Line
4;05PM EST
#469 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
#470 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Line
4;25PM EST
#471 DALLAS COWBOYS
#472 MIAMI DOLPHINS
Line
4;25PM EST
#473 ARIZONA CARDINALS
#474 CHICAGO BEARS
Line
8;15PM EST
#475 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
#476 DENVER BRONCOS
Line
NCAAB
1;30PM EST
#8641 TEMPLE
#8642 PORTLAND
Line
3;30PM EST
#8643 OLD DOMINION (ODU)
#8644 MASSACHUSETTS (UMASS)
Line
6;30PM EST
#8645 TCU
#8646 HAWAII
Line
9;00PM EST
#8647 NEVADA
#8648 GEORGIA TECH
Line
Monday, 12/25/2023
NFL
1;00PM EST
#477 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
#478 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Line
4;30PM EST
#479 NEW YORK GIANTS
#480 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Line
8;15PM EST
#481 BALTIMORE RAVENS
#482 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Line
Tuesday, 12/26/2023
NCAAF
2;00PM EST
#235 BOWLING GREEN
#236 MINNESOTA
Line
100% free to join! Get Insider’s access to exclusive content and updates – more picks, more winners!

Winners and Whiners is the premier source for the complete analysis, along with actual predictions on every game for every major

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *