Weather should be a major factor with wind and rain -- the last time Justin Fields played in Cleveland a couple of years ago, he was nearly killed with nine sacks taken and it was nice then. This should be a running slugfest.

The combination of the Browns defense and shaky QB work gave Cleveland an "under" look for most of the season. But with Joe Flacco providing confident leadership out of the blue for the offense, the Brownies have seen their games total 55 and 58 the past two weeks. This faster pace also fits the Bears narrative, at least from earlier in the season when Justin Fields was in at QB before his injury. Now with Fields back, the offense has regained much of its bite, moving freely in recent battles vs. the Lions. Before this "total" rises any higher, we'd grab it at 38, which we suspect is far too low. Play Bears-Browns "Over"

Joe Flacco and the Browns match up very poorly against this Bears defense. Chicago ranks top five against the run, and if Flacco cannot establish a ground game with Ford & Hunt, he could be in for a long day. The Browns already beleaguered offensive line will be without starting Center Ethan Pocic. I expect Flacco to be pressured early and often by the Chicago pass rush. Weather is also expected to impact this game. The browns are -3 home favorites, meaning oddsmakers essentially make this a neutral game. This stout Browns defense has actually shown a weakness against mobile quarterbacks. Justin Fields will use his legs to help get the Bears another upset win.

Rain and high winds are anticipated at kickoff, with the precipitation expected to lighten around halftime. So let's go with a first-half Under. The Browns' defense has slipped a bit but remains top-ranked. At home, Cleveland is 5-1-1 on Unders for the full game. Bears QB Justin Fields has thrived against soft-touch defenses yet produced only 12 points over 60 minutes against about-as-good Minnesota two weeks ago.

This line makes sense based on the entire season's results, but not when considering these teams' trajectory over the last month. The Browns seem to lose starters to injury every week and haven't won by more than 3 in five weeks -- while their vaunted defense has allowed 27 or more in four of their last five games. The Bears' 'D,' meanwhile, has held three of their last four opponents to 13 or less, with Justin Fields not only playing well, but for his NFL future. Grab the points.

On Sunday we are expecting rain and wind in Cleveland throughout the game. The Browns are 5-1-1 under in their home games with a pass defense the ranks #1. Cleveland is #3 in opponents yards per play. The Bears allow a very respectable 5.3 yards per play good enough for 13th best. Weather and defense leads to a low scoring game,

The Bears appear to be getting a ton of attention from bettors in this game, and it's understand as they have look much improved while winning three of their past four. But this is still a marginal team and the Browns are in desperate need of a win in their penultimate home game to stay in the thick of a crowded division race. The clubs play a similar grinding style, but the Browns are the better team and this ML is super cheap.

This is a tough spot for Fields and the Bears' passing game against an elite Browns defense that ranks first in both EPA allowed per drop-back and defensive drop-back success. The Browns also have been excellent at home. I expect Chicago to focus heavily on running the football, which is likely to limit Fields' passing attempts. Only one quarterback has managed to eclipse 185 passing yards in Cleveland this season.

Yes, we are backing Joe Flacco as a home favorite in Week 15. The Bears future appears bright suddenly but it feels like the Chicago optimism is over its skis a bit. Chicago's recent success has come largely on defense -- and it's been impressive -- but also with Justin Fields under center. The combination's led to a lot of discussion about what the Bears will do with the No. 1 pick they'll get from the Panthers. The next month for Fields will partially determine that, as will the prospects available, and I think Fields will close pretty strong. But not against this Browns defense, which has done an outstanding job all season and should pressure Fields/limit D.J. Moore.

This was a comfortable number for the huge TE even before the Browns latest QB switch, but with Joe Flacco solidified at QB I like it even more. Flacco loves deep seam-route shots throughout his career and Njoku is picking up chunks yards with him. Njoku is at 54 yards or more in 6 of the last 8 and he's had at least 6 targets in 8 straight games. Ample opportunity to hit this modest number. Browns have attempted the most passes in NFL the last 4 weeks, and you can't run on the Bears, so that won't change. But Chicago is 30th vs TEs allowing 78.3% completions.

The Browns have given up 14 rushing TDs, 24th in the NFL, and QB looks have been a problem. Browns have given up a rush TD in 5 straight games (7 in that span) and this year, Wilson, Minshew (2), Lamar (2) have scored as well as Etienne in the Wild Cat. Fields is good to 10+ carries against a suspect run D, he ended a long TD drought last week and had a streak of 6 in a row with a rushing TD around this time last season. Despite Fields losing time to injury, Foreman only has 2 more rushing TDs than him this season. At 2-1 return, this is worth the risk.

Games in Cleveland have largely been under affairs It got a little weird on Sunday, but the Jaguars were still held below 300 total yards. The best way to attack their defense is on the ground and I suspect a heavy dose of that from the Bears. There is always the chance we get some weather making this even more of a slog. Bears defense will give Joe Flacco more pushback than the fading Jags mustered in Week 14. Over the last four weeks Chicago is No. 1 in opposing passer rating (55.3) with just 4 TDs allowed and 9 INTs. Browns have attempted the most passes in the NFL the last four weeks, Bears pass rush is legit. I see both defenses thriving.

The Chicago Bears have been performing exceptionally well recently and have climbed up my power rankings. They have won three out of their last four games, and their defense looks impressive since they traded for edge rusher Montez Sweat. Joe Flacco had one of his best passing games in a while, but his QBR is still low at 41.5, and his lack of mobility could prove problematic, especially since offensive tackle Dawand Jones is out for the season. The Bears are ranked seventh in third-down conversion percentage, while the Browns rank 30th. Despite allowing 140 yards last week, the Bears rank second in rushing yards against. Grab the 3.5 points!

I've been on the Bears for several weeks now and there's no reason to hop off the bandwagon as long as we're getting more than a field goal. Chicago shuts down the run (3.6 yards per carry allowed) and will pressure the immobile Joe Flacco. With weather always a potential factor in Cleveland in December, it helps to have a QB like Justin Fields; he's run for 221 yards in three games since returning from injury. Fields also has not been intercepted in that span.

The Browns look like they're heading to the playoffs with Joe Flacco giving the offense a boost, but are they the better team in this matchup? I give a big edge to the Bears offense with Justin Fields under center, and Chicago's excellent run game can take advantage of a place where the Browns aren't that strong on defense. The Chicago defense shut down Detroit in the second half last week and is now 13th in yards per play, and they should have success in this matchup. I see a low-scoring game here, but since I have the Bears as the better team, I have to grab the hook while it's available.

The Browns offense has turned a corner with Joe Flacco, and the Bears offense has taken it to the Lions two of the last three weeks. But I expect this to be a battle defined by the defenses. The Browns typically have one of the best defenses in the league at home, and the four TDs allowed to the Jags didn't match holding that team under 300 yards and to four yards per play. The Bears defense has been very good since getting healthy and adding Montez Sweat, recording 11 takeaways in the last three weeks. Unless we get a defensive score, this seems like a game where 20-17 is the cap.