Browns vs. Bills (11/20/22): Prediction, Depth Charts, Injuries

This Browns-Bills contest has been moved to Detroit after the Buffalo forecasted a snowstorm. Given the Buffalo weather forecast indicated a possibility of six feet of snow Fahrenheit, the NFL felt it was safest to move the game out of Orchard Park. Does the Browns top 5 running game give them an advantage over the heavily favored Bills in these conditions? Or is Josh Allen’s experience in the snow enough to keep the Bills’ edge? Let’s take a look.

Browns Vs. Bills Betting Odds

The Bills are (-8.5) home favorites over the visiting Browns (+8.5). The over/under originally dropped four points from its opening line of 47.5 to 43.5, but has moved back up to 48.5 since the game has moved away from the snow.

Browns Vs. Bills Prediction

The Bills endured a disheartening 33-30 loss to the Minnesota Vikings this past week. WR Justin Jefferson and RB Dalvin Cook made some huge plays, taking advantage of an injured Bills defense. Particularly after last week’s showing, the Bills are hoping DE Greg Rousseau, CB Tre’Davious White, CB Kaiir Elam, and S Jordan Poyer can return soon. Last week’s loss can’t just be blamed on the defense, however. Josh Allen’s costly turnovers in both the fourth quarter and overtime kept the Vikings in the game. Though Josh Allen has made incredible runs and throws despite an injured elbow, he also has become more turnover prone the past three weeks, throwing four redzone interceptions through this stretch. If the Bills wish to take back the lead in the AFC East and go deep in the playoffs, they’ll need to clean up their sloppy play.

After holding the Bengals to just 13 points in week 9, the Browns defense fell apart against the Dolphins. The Dolphins punted zero times last week, ran for 195 yards, and scored 39 points. Oddly enough, the Browns defense did a good job limiting star WR duo Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, holding them to a combined 110 yards. The Dolphins run heavy game script likely played a large part in this anomaly, as Miami controlled the game from the jump. They will want to repeat this feat versus another top receiving duo in Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis this week. On offense, the Browns moved the ball, but struggled to put up points. WR Donovan Peoples Jones was a bright spot for the offense, going for a season high 99 yards, including this 38 yard catch down the left sideline.

Brissett bomb on the first play of the game!

📺: #CLEvsMIA on CBS pic.twitter.com/IStrKGcI1g

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 13, 2022

I’m still taking the Bills to rebound versus a mediocre Browns team and cover the spread. Though the Bills have blown double-digit leads two weeks in a row, I think that Josh Allen will be motivated to play a clean game after two consecutive weeks with costly turnovers.

Prediction: Bills 24-13, Under hits.

Betting Trends

• Browns are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 vs. AFC.
• Bills are 10-2-2 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.

Key Injuries

Cleveland Browns Injuries: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Q), David Njoku (Q), Chase Winovich (Q),
D’Anthony Bell (Q), Reggie Robinson (Q), Jesse James (Q), Jedrick Wills (Q)

Buffalo Bills Injuries: Jordan Poyer (Q), Greg Rousseau (Q), Jake Kumerow (Q), Kaiir Elam (Q),
Tremaine Edmunds (Q), Ike Boettger (Q), Tre’Davious White (Q), Jamison Crowder (Q)

Browns vs Bills Key Matchups

Will the Browns secondary be able to hold up against Josh Allen and the Bills receiving corps? Check out key matchups and mismatches below.

Josh Allen vs Browns Defense

With his recent turnover spree, Josh Allen will be tasked with trying to reverse their recent offensive fortune. The good news is they no longer have to play in the snow, which frequently causes more turnovers in games. The other piece of optimism surrounding Allen is his UCL injury did not seem to prevent him from throwing all over the field last week. Allen can also be expected to use his legs, like last week when he added 84 yards on just 6 carries in week 10. However, he may want to be more cautious after his recent UCL injury and needing medical attention after throwing his first interception last week. His game time heroics are fun to watch, but will only cost the Bills if he gets hurt.

Browns Run Offense vs the Bills Run Defense

The Browns best advantage likely lies in their run offense. Though the Bills pass defense faltered versus Justin Jefferson last week giving up 193 yards to the 3rd year pro, (then again, who hasn’t?) a string of secondary injuries likely contributed to this figure. The Bills run game has typically been the worst part of their defense the past couple years, which bodes well for RB Nick Chubb. Chubb is currently the league’s third leading rusher with 904 rushing yards and the NFL leader in rushing touchdowns with 11. The Browns should try to get Chubb going early for their best chance at both putting up points in the freezing temperatures and keeping Josh Allen and the Bills #1 offense off the field.

Cleveland Browns Depth Chart

QB: Tua Tagovailoa
RB1: Nick Chubb
RB2: Kareem Hunt
LWR: Donovan Peoples Jones
RWR: Amari Cooper
SWR: David Bell
TE1: David Njoku

Buffalo Bills Depth Chart

QB: Josh Allen
RB1: Devin Singletary
RB2: Zack Moss
LWR: Gabriel Davis
RWR: Stefon Diggs
SWR: Isaiah McKenzie
TE1: Dawson Knoxtarget=”_blank”>Mike Gesicki