Simulation Picks
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Understanding Public and Money
Read More
Expert Picks
My neutral site simulations make the Jets a -1.5 favorite over the Browns without Josh Gordon. Home field advantage certainly exists in the NFL, but the Browns definitely don't get 4.5 point bump for playing at home in this matchup. My model credits the Browns with a 2 point bump for playing at home, indicating this line should be much closer to a pick'em. Take the points and the better coaching staff on the short week.
I think I've seen enough out of the Browns defense so far to suggest Sam Darnold might have himself a tough time on Thursday night at Cleveland. The Browns have covered both games this season with a vigor eventually deflated by their kicker. Still, this Browns defense is swarming, and they've got a new kicker. The spread should be closer to -4 despite the Jets' signature Week 1 win at Detroit. Cleveland doesn't have a tough time here establishing its newfound confidence. Browns to cover.
The Browns' placekicking can't get any worse and this is a brutal spot for the Jets and their rookie QB -- playing their third game in 11 days. Cleveland's pass rush will deliver, while the Jets' pass rush won't bother Tyrod Taylor. He knows how to beat the Jets (from his days in Buffalo) and will do so again.
I can't lay points with a team that's 0-for-19. Hue Jackson is approaching the record of the Washington Generals coach. He just keeps finding ways to lose. The Jets have a very good defense and a good offensive line. Sam Darnold threw for 334 yards last week and they had a chance to win. They're got to get their running game going. Take the Jets.
The Browns are 1-32-1 over the last two-plus years straight up and we're making them three-point favorites here? I'll take the team with the better coaching staff on a short week, not to mention the better offense. Even the Jets defense is comparable to that of the Browns, giving up fewer points and creating almost as many turnovers, and it's healthier, with the Browns possibly down three key starters here. Jets win this one, and time is just about up for Hue Jackson in Cleveland.
Who did New York tick off in the league’s schedule-maker office? The Jets must gear up for their third game in 11 days, a cramped agenda whose difficulty is magnified with a rookie QB (Sam Darnold). If not for an utterly shaken placekicker, Cleveland could be 2-0 instead of 0-2 and can taste victory this week. The Browns presumably will change kickers and, backed by a spirited midweek crowd along with a defense that will confound Darnold, should end their non-winning streak at 19.