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Bengals vs. Browns Prediction, Odds, Against Spread and Over/Under for NFL Week 18

By Matt De Saro

The Bengals have an outside chance to secure the No.1 spot in the AFC playoff race but have to get past the Browns first.
The Bengals have an outside chance to secure the No.1 spot in the AFC playoff race but have to get past the Browns first. / Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY
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After a wild finish in Cincinnati over the weekend, the Bengals clinched the AFC North after beating the Kansas City Chiefs as underdogs. They have a chance to follow up that performance with a win over their division rival, the Cleveland Browns, in the final week of the regular season. It's possible for the Bengals to move up to the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the AFC if the Titans and Chiefs both lose. 

The Browns, despite being out of playoff contention, are still a good team. They are also a team that has already beaten the Bengals soundly 41-16 in Week 9. The Browns can still end the season on a high note with a win as home favorites here. As of this writing, the Browns have yet to play their Week 17 game on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here are the odds for this Week 18 AFC North showdown, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Bengals vs. Browns, Spread, and Total Odds

Spread:

  • Bengals +2.5 (+100)
  • Browns -2.5 (-120)

Moneyline:

  • Bengals +127
  • Browns -155

Total:

  • 43 (Over -110/Under -110)

Bengals vs. Browns Betting Trends

  • Bengals are 8-8 against the spread in their last 16 games. 
  • Bengals are 3-5 ATS in their last eight games as an underdog. 
  • Bengals are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games. 
  • Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last five division games. 
  • Browns are 7-8 ATS in their last 15 games. 
  • Browns are 2-5 ATS as a favorite. 

Bengals vs. Browns Prediction and Pick

This is a hard game to make sense of as of Monday afternoon. I am torn between the Bengals going hard for a win with an injured Joe Burrow or them resting starters in preparation for the playoffs. There is an outside chance, with a lot of help, they could secure the No. 1 seed. However, that would require a lot of unlikely outcomes to occur and it might not be worth the health of Burrow’s ankle. 

I think the only reason that the Bengals are underdogs in this game is due to the possibility of Zac Taylor resting his starters. That, or perhaps Burrow’s ankle is bad enough to warrant a week off. It is unlikely we will know what the Bengals plan to do until Sunday morning. The team is more likely waiting to see what happens with the Chiefs game on Saturday. 

Despite the cards stacked against them to move up in the standings, I think that Taylor has his team ready to go and try and upset the Browns on the road. They do not want to go into the playoffs after ending the year getting swept by Cleveland. At full strength, the Bengals are a much better team and I think they show up to this game. 

Pick: Bengals +127 to win

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