Previewing Sunday’s Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals sports betting odds and lines, with Week 15 NFL betting picks, tips and bets.
The Cleveland Browns (6-7) and Arizona Cardinals (3-9-1) will do battle at State Farm Stadium Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET. We analyze the Browns-Cardinals sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 15 matchup.
Browns at Cardinals: Week 15 preview, betting trends and notes
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The Browns are technically still alive in the AFC Wild Card picture, but they need to win out and get help from opponents of the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans, among others.
Cleveland has posted a 3-1-1 ATS mark across the past five, and they’re 3-1-1 ATS in the past five as a favorite.
The Browns have posted a 5-2 ATS mark across the past seven against teams with a losing overall record, but they’re 0-4 ATS in the past four on the road.
Arizona is 4-0 ATS in the past four against losing teams, but 1-5 ATS in the past six in the month of December.
The Over is 3-1-1 in the past five for the Browns against teams with a losing record, and 9-4 in the past 13 on the road against teams with a losing home mark.
The Over is 5-1 in the past six for the Cardinals against losing sides, but the Under is 24-11 in the past 35 at home for Arizona.
Browns at Cardinals: Key injuries
Browns: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (groin) is dealing with a nagging groin injury, while WR Jarvis Landry (hip) is nursing a sore hip. Neither is believed to be in jeopardy of missing this game.
Cardinals: S Budda Baker (hamstring) and LB Terrell Suggs (back/illness) missed practice time mid-week, and they’re more of an uncertainty. WR Christian Kirk (ankle) is also a question mark.
Browns at Cardinals: Odds, betting lines and prediction
The BROWNS (-143) have a lot more on the line, and they have a tremendous rushing attack which will make the difference. The Cardinals rank 24th against the rush, allowing 120.5 yards per game on the ground, and they’re dead-last against the pass, yielding 294.2 yards per game while giving up 414.7 total yards per contest, also 32nd in the NFL.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Bucs moneyline returns a $6,99 profit with a Cleveland victory.
The BROWNS (-2.5, -121) are a nice play as long as this line stays below a field goal. They’re also a tremendous teaser option in this must-win game against the Cardinals (+2.5, +100). If you can get a seven-point teaser and toss the Browns in, they’ll be that much more attractive.
UNDER 48.5(-115) is the play, as this line is a bit high. While yes, Arizona’s defense leaves a lot to be desired, its offense has only been so-so. The same can be said for Cleveland’s offense, which was expected to be a juggernaut, but has been inconsistent for most of the season outside of RB Nick Chubb, who is superb.
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The 49ers owned the second quarter after a dominant first 15 minutes by Arizona.
The 49ers offense looked more put together in the second quarter, driving down the field for two scoring drives. The defense held to Arizona to seven points after allowing two scoring drives in the first quarter.
With the 49ers trailing 16-10 heading into the half, here’s what stood out in the second quarter:
Murray has time
What might be the most alarming trend is that the 49ers haven’t been able to create pressure on Kyler Murray. Murray hasn’t had to move much in the pocket and when it does it’s on a designed run. The 49ers defense has been able to get to the quarterback rushing just four all season, but haven’t been able to affect Murray doing so Sunday. Robert Saleh may need to draw up more blitzes to put more pressure on Murray or else he will continue to tear up the 49ers defense.
It took awhile, but the 49ers offense showed up
The 49ers offense had two total yards entering the second quarter but one play may have turned the tide. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Richie James on a screen pass that resulted in a 57-yard play to get the offense in the red zone for the first time. The drive ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Garoppolo to Ross Dwelley. The drive followed the trend of quick drives, taking just 1:11 off the clock.
Another Sherman pass interference but the defense holds this time
Richard Sherman was called for his third pass interference on a third-and-11 that gave Arizona a first down. But for the first time on Sunday, a Sherman pass interference didn’t lead to Arizona points when the defense forced a punt four plays later. The big play was a Dee Ford sack on second-and-9 that put Arizona in a third-and-long situation. The call against Sherman was the third time he was called for pass interference on Christian Kirk, so it appears Kliff Kingsbury likes that matchup and it will be one to watch in the second half.
The 49ers didn’t hold the ball long in the first quarter and couldn’t get much going on offense.
The 49ers didn’t hold the ball long in the first quarter and couldn’t get much going on offense. Arizona ran 14 more plays and gained 97 more yards over the first 15 minutes and hold a 9-0 lead going into the second.
Here’s what stood out in the first quarter:
The tale of two pass interference calls
The 49ers fell victim to the rare overturned pass interference call when Richard Sherman was called for the penalty after a review that set Arizona up with the ball at the 3-yard-line. Two plays later Kyler Murray found Charles Clay in the end zone, but Christian Kirk was called for offensive pass interference to nullify the score. The Cardinals couldn’t regain momentum after the Kirk penalty and had to settle for a field goal. The 49ers caught a break with the offensive pass interference and was able to hold strong within the red zone.
Offense comes out stale
The 49ers offense probably wanted to respond better to the Cardinals 10-play drive but only could muster five yards. The third-down play could have shown some issues with the receivers as Jimmy Garoppolo had plenty of time in the pocket which gave the receivers plenty of time to get open, but they couldn’t do so. With as much pressure as the receivers got following their performance against Seattle, the opening drive, especially the third down play, seems a bit alarming for the group.
Another Sherman pass interference leads to an Arizona touchdown
Sherman followed his pass interference that set up Arizona inside the 5 with another pass interference that set up Arizona inside the 5. Sherman once again made contact with Kirk on a shot to the end zone, but made contact at the 5-yard-line as the ball was in the air and was called for his second pass interference. This time the call hurt the 49ers as two plays later Murray found Larry Fitzgerald to give Arizona a two score lead.
It’s a familiar matchup for the 49ers as they take on the Arizona Cardinals just 17 days after their win in Arizona.
It’s a familiar matchup for the 49ers as they take on the Arizona Cardinals just 17 days after their win in Arizona. The 49ers escaped Arizona on Halloween with a 28-25 victory that saw Jimmy Garoppolo carry the offense with four touchdown passes, and a defense that barely held on long enough to get the job done. The two division rivals will close out their season series Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Here are the three matchups that could decide whether the 49ers sweep or Arizona can earn a split:
Deebo Samuel vs. Patrick Peterson
(AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
With George Kittle out and Emmanuel Sanders questionable for Sunday, Samuel could be the best receiver on the field for the 49ers. With that comes a matchup against one of the better cornerbacks in league. Samuel had the best game of his career against Seattle with eight receptions for 112 despite having a couple of drops that could have added to his numbers. If Sanders can’t go, expect Jimmy Garoppolo to target Samuel a bit but with that comes throwing at Peterson, a three-time All-Pro corner.
Christian Kirk had a huge game. David Johnson struggled in his return.
The Arizona Cardinals had some solid performances from players on Sunday when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27. Some players did not perform as well.
Who were the studs and duds in the game?
Stud: WR Christian Kirk
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Kirk was huge. He had six receptions for 138 yards and three touchdowns. It was the first time a player had three receiving touchdowns since Larry Fitzgerald did it in 2015. He had not had a touchdown all season. He doubled his career touchdown total. Based on his production in his seven games played so far this season, he is on pace for 75 catches and 867 yards. Not bad for a 13-game season.
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Yards
TD
Lamar Jackson
223 – 63
4
Daniel Jones
308 – 20
4
Patrick Mahomes
446
3
Kyler Murray
324 – 38
3
Dak Prescott
397
3
Running Backs
Yards
TD
Derrick Henry
188 – 3
2
Aaron Jones
93
3
Christian McCaffrey
108 – 33
1
Melvin Gordon
108-25
1
Dalvin Cook
97-86
1
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
Christian Kirk
138
3
Darius Slayton
121
2
Tyreek Hill
157
1
Golden Tate
95
2
Amari Cooper
147
1
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Mark Andrews
53
2
Travis Kelce
75
1
O.J. Howard
47
1
Jack Doyle
44
1
Kyle Rudolph
14
2
Placekickers
XP
FG
Harrison Butker
2
4
Younghoe Koo
2
4
Matt Gay
3
3
Jason Sanders
1
3
Sam Ficken
4
2
Defense
Sck-TO
TD
Steelers
4-3
1
Ravens
2-3
2
Rams
3-2
1
Raiders
5-3
1
Jets
6-2
1
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
TE Trey Burton – Calf
RB Devonta Freeman – Ankle
RB Giovani Bernard – Knee
RB Ty Johnson – Concussion
RB Jordan Wilkins – Ankle
WR Ryan Switzer – Back
RB Saquon Barkley – Undisclosed
Chasing Ambulances
Devonta Freeman – This is the only injury likely to create new opportunities. The Falcons already placed Ito Smith on injured reserve last week and next up means Brian Hill. He ran for 61 yards on 20 carries mostly all after Freeman left by halftime. Hill also caught a ten-yard pass. Hill already has some value as the new No. 2 for the Falcons and will be the primary if Freeman misses any time. Next week, the Falcons play the Panthers that just let Aaron Jones score three touchdowns. At this point in the season, Hill is a worthy addition if you have the room.
Free Agents and Notable Performances
RB Melvin Gordon – Finally broke 100 yards for 2019 when he ran 22 times for 108 yards and a touchdown plus caught a pass for 25 yards. He ran for 80 yards on 20 carries in Week 9 versus the Packers. After six games back, he’s back in playing form with two straight games of 20 carries and 4.0 YPC.
RB J.D. McKissic – Ty Johnson left with a concussion so McKissic (10-36) and Paul Perkins (7-9) filled in. McKissic also caught six passes for 19 yards as the busiest receiver. He worth adding to a roster if there are reception points and the upcoming schedule (DAL, @WAS, CHI, @MIN) will need to use a running back as a receiver. That was with Jeff Driskell as the quarterback but Matt Stafford uses him a well.
TE Mark Andrews – Big game with six catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns. The notable part is that he’s only topped 50 yards in one other game since Week 2. He gained 99 yards on six catches in Week 6. Against the same Bengals team in their first meeting. They can’t always be the Bengals each week, but when they are, Andrews comes to life.
RB Joe Mixon – Okay, so he hasn’t rushed in a touchdown this year, but at least Mixon just turned in his first 100-yard rushing effort of the year. He ran for 114 yards on 30 carries and added 37 yards on two catches in the loss to the Ravens.
QB Ryan Finley – The rookie debuted with only 167 yards and one touchdown with one interception versus the Ravens which were not the best choice for a first game. Short of a catastrophic situation for your fantasy team, doesn’t look like he needs to be picked up. There is even game film on his this week.
Saints backfield – Sunday was a trash game for the Saints who never showed up. So it is hard to draw too many conclusions from what happened in the loss to the Falcons. Alvin Kamara returned from his ankle injury but only gained 24 yards on four carries. Latavius Murray ran five times for 12 yards so the Saints equally mixed the pair for at least this week. Kamara still caught eight of his targets while Murray only drew two passes. But the situation is more reminiscent of how the Saints used to mix Kamara and Mark Ingram.
WR Darius Slayton – He only caught one pass for six yards in the Week 9 loss to the Cowboys but the fifth-round rookie just turned in his first game over the century mark when he caught ten passes for 121 yards and two scores on the Jets. He has a bye this week but his fantasy playoff schedule for Weeks 14 to 16 are @PHI, MIA, and @WAS.
RB Saquon Barkley – There are missing offensive linemen and a rookie quarterback, but that still doesn’t completely explain how one of the most talented running backs on the planet just rushed for a net of one yard on 13 carries in the loss to the Jets. Barkley still caught five passes for 30 yards but the first pick in most fantasy drafts was hoped to offer more than 31 yards. Barkley was reported to have gone to the x-ray room after the game but no word as to why.
Cardinals backfield – The return of David Johnson did not change much. He only ran for two yards on five carries and caught one 8-yard pass. Kenyan Drake rushed ten times for 35 yards and caught six passes for a net six-yard gain. And that is without Chase Edmonds eventually mixed back in. For now, the backfield is split and Drake is getting the bigger share.
WR Andy Isabella – The Cardinals rookie is becoming a common deep threat lately with a 55-yard catch this week and an 88-yard reception in Week 10. His 78 total yards against the Buccaneers was second highest for the receivers.
RB Ronald Jones – He’s recently been given over ten carries per game but he had never caught more than two passes. Against the Cardinals, Jones ran for 29 yards and a score on 11 carries and added eight catches for 77 yards. The Bucs had not used running backs much as receivers, so it is worth noting since Jones’s fantasy value would be much greater if he had more than two receptions per game.
RB Damien Williams – Nice development for Williams. After sharing with LeSean McCoy, he was allowed 12 carries in Week 9 and gained 125 yards with one score. On Sunday, he ran for 77 yards on 19 carries and added five catches for 32 yards. McCoy was a healthy scratch. He lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown which works against a running back. But at least the Chiefs turned him into a workhorse this week.
WR DeVante Parker – With Preston Williams on injured reserve, Allen Hurns filled in bot only caught two passes for 32 yards on his four targets. Parker saw more work with ten targets and five receptions for 69 yards. The Fins will need to throw and look like they only trust Parker now.
WR DJ Moore – Kyle Allen is connecting better with Moore in recent weeks and his seven-catch, 101-yard effort in Week 9 was followed up with nine receptions for 120 yards at Green Bay.
RB Aaron Jones – He ran for 93 yards on 13 carries and had no receptions. But he scored three touchdowns, giving him a total of 14 scores on the year. He’s scored in seven of his ten games and yet hasn’t rushed the ball more than 13 times in the last five weeks.
Huddle player of the week
Christian Kirk – The second-year receiver hadn’t scored a touchdown this year and was mostly held to moderate production each week while his rookie quarterback went through his learning curve. Facing the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay was a great place for a career-best game. Kirk caught six passes for 138 yards and scored three touchdowns. It probably won’t be that easy next week in San Francisco. But he led the position for Week 10.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
