Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Matchup Preview (1/9/22): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Matchup Preview (1/9/22)

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Betting Odds

The Browns are listed as a 6-point home favorite over the Bengals.  Cincinnati is 9-7 against the spread this season; 5-2 on the road.  Over is 6-0 in the Bengals last six games following a straight up win.  The Browns are 0-4 against the spread in their last four games as a favorite.  Over is 6-0 in Cincinnati’s last six games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.  Cleveland is 2-13-1 against the spread in their last 16 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

My predictions: Browns win 23-16 due to Burrow and Mixon out of the lineup for the Bengals, Browns cover, and teams combine for over 38 points. 

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, January 9
Time: 1:oo PM ET
Location: FirstEnergy Stadium – Cleveland, OH
TV Coverage: FOX

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Live Stream

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Cincinnati Bengals Analysis

The Bengals are the first team in NFL history to have a 4,000-yard passer (Joe Burrow), 1,000-yard rusher (Joe Mixon) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins) all 25 or younger in the same season. 

Joe Burrow is not going to play this weekend due to a sore right knee and injured right pinkie but will be ready for the playoffs.  He has started all 16 games this season, throwing for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns while completing a league leading 70.4% of his passes.  In the victory over the Chiefs in week 17, Joe Burrow passed for 446 yards and four touchdowns.  In his last two games, the second-year quarterback has thrown for 971 yards, eight touchdowns with a 145.6 passer rating.  He’s the only player ever with back-to-back games of 400 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions per ESPN.com (Field Yates).  The Cincinnati signal caller is +1000 to win the NFL MVP.  Brandon Allen will start for Cincinnati in the regular season finale.  Allen has thrown a touchdown in five games this season, mostly playing in mop up duty.   The former Arkansas Razorback has thrown nine touchdown passes in 13 career games. 

Rookie Ja’Marr Chase leads the Bengals and all rookies in receiving yards with 1,429 and touchdowns catches with 13 (second in the NFL) this season.  He has nine touchdown receptions vs. single coverage this season, per PFF.  He’s also leading the team in catches with 79, averaging a whopping 18.1 yards per reception.  Against the Chiefs in week 17, Chase set a single-game NFL rookie record with 266 receiving yards, while adding three touchdowns.  Per PFF, the fifth pick in the 2021 draft is the highest-graded rookie wide receiver at 82.8.  Named to his first Pro Bowl, he has five 100-yards receiving games this campaign, even more impressive is he’s gone over 200 receiving yards in two of those games.  Chase is -250 to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.   In his second season, Tee Higgins is second on the team in receiving with 74 catches for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns.   Higgins has at least 100 yards receiving in four of his last six games. 

On Wednesday, Joe Mixon tested positive for COVID-19 and will not play in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.  He is second in the league in rushing with 1,205 yards on 292 attempts: averaging 75.3 rushing yards per game.  He has 13 rushing touchdowns this season, which is fourth among rushers. The former Oklahoma Sooner has run for at least 100 yards in three games this season. He’s also a danger in the receiving game, catching 42 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns.  With Mixon out, I’d expect Samaje Perine to get the bulk of the carries.  He’s averaging 4.5 yards per rushing attempt this season.

Cincinnati is allowing 22.2 points per game and 319.6 yards of total offense to their opponents this season which is sixth in the league.

First-time Pro Bowler, Trey Hendrickson was added to the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, he’s questionable for the game at Cleveland.  He leads the team in sacks with 14, the most among Bengals players in a season since at least 1982.  Additionally, Hendrickson has 12 tackles for loss and 27 quarterback hits. 

Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart

QB: Joe Burrow
RB1: Joe Mixon
RB2: Samaje Perine
WR1: Ja’Marr Chase
WR2: Tee Higgins
WR3: Tyler Boyd
TE1: C.J. Uzomah
TE2: Drew Sample

Cleveland Browns Analysis

The Browns offense is averaging 338.4 yards of total offense per game, ranking them 18^th in the NFL.  They’re scoring 20.5 points per game which ranks them 20^th in the league. 

In week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baker Mayfield was constantly under siege by the Steelers pass rush, being sacked nine times in primetime.  It was announced earlier in this week, Mayfield would not play against the Bengals due to surgery needed to repair the torn labrum on his left side.  The Browns signal caller will end his season with 3,010 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, 13 interceptions with a 60.5 completion percentage.  The number one overall pick in 2018 will finish his season with an 83.1 passer rating.  The former Oklahoma Sooner has simply been inconsistent, overthrows receivers, and panics in the pocket.  He’s bordering on becoming another bust for the Browns. I expect Cleveland to explore the quarterback market to see if an upgrade or competition for Mayfield is out there.  Case Keenum will start against Cincinnati in the season finale.  On the season he has thrown for 286 yards, one touchdown, completing 62.5% of his passes while appearing in six games.  In his career Keenum has thrown 76 touchdown passes in 75 games.

Jarvis Landry who’s played 11 games this season, leads the Browns in receptions with 46.  He also has 495 receiving yards and a touchdown this season.  Donovan Peoples-Jones leads the team with 559 receiving yards, while catching 31 passes and three touchdowns.  In 13 games this season, he’s averaging an awesome 18 yards per reception.  His big play ability could eventually make him one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL.

The Browns rushing attack is fourth in the NFL, averaging 141.6 yards per game.  A Pro-Bowler, Nick Chubb is third in the league in rushing with 1,201 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.  He’s also scored eight touchdowns on the ground this season.  The fourth-year pro from Georgia has rushed for over 100 yards four times this campaign; averaging 92.4 yards per game.  In his career he has rushed for 4,758 yards on 899 carries and 36 touchdowns. 

The Browns defense is allowing 319.6 yards per game this season ranking them sixth in the NFL.  They’re allowing 22.2 points per game, ranking them 17^th in the league. 

Cleveland has 39 sacks as a team this season.  Myles Garrett has 15 sacks in 16 games this season which is tied for third in the NFL.  He also has 16 tackles for loss and 31 quarterback hits in 2021. 

Cleveland Browns Depth Chart

QB: Baker Mayfield
RB1: Nick Chubb
RB2: D’Ernest Johnson
WR1: Rashard Higgins
WR2: Donovan Peoples-Jones
WR3: Jarvis Landry
TE1: Austin Hooper

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Daily Fantasy Picks

Wide receiver Tyler Boyd is an extremely dangerous player in the Cincinnati passing attack.  He has 67 catches for 828 yards and five touchdowns this season.  Per PFF, he has the most targets (88) without a drop this season.

Tight end David Njoku has 15 career receiving touchdowns.  Per NFL.com, only Ozzie Newsome (47) and Milt Morin (16) have more among tight ends in Cleveland’s history.