Browns Visit Broncos in Battle of Struggling Squads

Misery’s got company this week in Denver as the disappointing Cleveland Browns visit the 2-6 Broncos. Cleveland has struggled over the years at Mile High, losing 10 of its last 11 visits — although the Browns pulled out a 17-16 road victory last year. Brandon Allen will make his NFL starting debut at quarterback for Denver.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Denver opened as a 1-point favorite at Sportsbook, which is a role the Broncos have struggled in lately — losing outright in five of their last six as chalk. Catching points on the road hasn’t been kind to the Browns either, though, with Cleveland losing 28 of its last 30 as a road underdog. The total opened at the low number of 42, partly due to the fact Denver has gone UNDER in 15 of its last 17.

Cleveland News & Notes

A bye week wasn’t enough for Cleveland to clean up its biggest issues in 2019: turnovers and penalties. The Browns turned the ball over on three consecutive offensive plays in the first quarter of last week’s 27-13 loss to New England, trailing 17-0 before they’d even gained a first down. Meanwhile, Cleveland was flagged a staggering 13 times for 85 yards.

On the season, the Browns lead the NFL in penalties, average penalty yards per game and giveaways per game. When you’re shooting yourself in the foot that often and it’s derailing what were high expectations for your team, dissension in the ranks is sure to follow.

There’s already speculation that first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens will be shown the door at the end of the year, while QB Baker Mayfield and WR Odell Beckham were openly critical of teammates following last week’s loss.

Denver News & Notes

There’s been a quarterback carousel in Denver since the retirement of Peyton Manning, and pivots are once again the center of the conversation this week for the Broncos.

This time, a change at QB has been necessitated by an injury to Joe Flacco — although some believe Flacco’s post-game diatribe at coaches following last week’s 15-13 loss in Indianapolis has more to do with his absence this week than a herniated disc in his neck. Whatever the reason, Arkansas product Brandon Allen will make his regular-season starting debut against the Browns.

Although Allen hasn’t seen many reps in practice since being acquired on waivers from the Rams at the end of the preseason, Denver coach Vic Fangio is optimistic the former sixth-round pick will pick up the offense quickly. “I think (he’s) as comfortable as he can be,” Fangio told the Denver Post. “I think the guy’s got a little something to him and we’ll devise a plan for him.”

Not that Flacco leaves huge shoes to fill. With Flacco under center, the Broncos scored just 125 points in their first eight games — their fewest in the Sportsbook half of a season in 27 years.

Betting Pick: Broncos -2

This Denver offense can’t get much worse with Allen at quarterback. I’ll take the superior defense at home in this spot.