NFL Betting: Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
by Bodog Sportsbook | Nov 16 2009
It's the dawn of a new era for the Cleveland Browns. Or are they just in a transition phase until real, substantial change comes in the offseason? Either way, the
NFL odds say the Browns are in for another beating.
Cleveland is under new management (sort of) as the worst team in the AFC (1-7 SU, 3-5 ATS) prepares to host the Baltimore Ravens (4-4 SU, 5-3 ATS) on Monday Night Football, with the Ravens pegged as 11-point favorites. However, the dismissal of general manager George Kokinis on November 1 isn't the kind of change Cleveland fans - or players - are looking for.
Kokinis, a former scout with the Browns and the director of pro personnel for the Ravens, was reportedly escorted from team headquarters at the behest of owner Randy Lerner, after Kokinis refused to resign his post. This move did nothing to appease the locals. They're well aware that head coach Eric Mangini is the man in charge, with the respected Kokinis his chosen GM. Both men were hired in January after Lerner sent GM Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel packing.
These front-office machinations don't speak well for the franchise's long-term situation. But handicappers need to know where to place their
football bets this Monday - and that's where Jamal Lewis comes in. Lewis went public last Thursday with his displeasure over how hard Mangini is working his players in practice; on Friday in the Browns locker room, a group of players gathered around the former Pro Bowl running back and chanted “J-Lew! J-Lew! J-Lew!” This is not the behavior of a team united behind its coach.
There is one positive change Cleveland fans can look forward to this Monday: the benching of quarterback Derek Anderson (two TDs, nine INTs, 36.2 passer rating) and the second chance given to Brady Quinn (one TD, three INTs, 62.1 passer rating). Mangini pulled Brady at halftime of Cleveland's Week 3 matchup with the Ravens in Baltimore, a game the Browns (+13.5) would go on to lose 34-3. Anderson proceeded to put up historically poor numbers this year, although the Browns did rattle off three straight paydays before things started getting really ugly.
Quinn has shown flashes of success since joining the team from Notre Dame, but neither he nor Anderson was being put in a position to succeed this year. The Browns traded tight end Kellen Winslow (43 catches in 10 games last year) to Tampa Bay in the offseason, released the injured WR Joe Jurevicius (who then sued the team over complications from a staph infection), and on October 7 dealt WR Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets. That leaves the Browns without their top three receivers from 2007, when the team went 10-6 (12-4 ATS) and Anderson made the Pro Bowl.
The Ravens aren't the same defensive juggernaut this year under new co-ordinator Greg Mattison, the former linebackers coach who is replacing noted guru Rex Ryan (now coaching the Jets). Quinn should get at least a little breathing room Monday night, but he doesn't have the targets to exploit the Baltimore secondary, and Lewis is only running for 3.6 yards per carry in what is expected to be his last season in the NFL. The one beacon of hope for Cleveland supporters is that Mangini might be encouraged to use the Wildcat offense more frequently; multi-talented Joshua Cribbs is their best weapon, and they've had two weeks to prepare a game plan for the Ravens.
Cleveland is one of the worst teams in the league on defense and well as offense, and worse so now without linebackers D'Qwell Jackson (chest) and Eric Barton (neck) for the rest of the season. Baltimore, meanwhile, has become one of the better teams in the league on offense with QB Joe Flacco (12 TDs, seven INTs) operating behind a quality offensive line. Flacco torched the Browns for 342 yards back in Week 3, and that was when they were healthy. Baltimore could do even more damage on Monday with new No. 1 RB Ray Rice (5.3 yards per carry) tearing up the field of late.
Baltimore is 3-0 SU and ATS over the Browns since that magical 2007 season, winning by a combined score of 99-40. It's a huge mountain for the Browns to climb; we'll have live betting available on every play as ESPN (8:30 p.m. ET) provides the MNF coverage.
