It’s not often that a team loses by 17 points on the road while failing to score a touchdown and travels further the next week feeling fortunate about it. However, that’s exactly the mindset the Cleveland Browns (7-4) have on the heels of their 29-12 loss to the suddenly dangerous Denver Broncos last week. The Rams opened as +5.0 favorites and sit at , but some late-week injury designations will cause further flux to this line.
Injuries are mounting in Cleveland. Linchpin CB Denzel Ward missed last week with a shoulder injury, and rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s status for Week 13 is as unclear as the skies in L.A. after being knocked out of last week's game with a concussion. While those injuries are troubling factors, Cleveland dodged a bullet with hands-down DPOY favorite DE Myles Garrett, who avoided structural damage to his shoulder after leaving the Denver game. The Browns can get by with their ever-turning quarterback carousel, but their dominant defense would be stuck in the mud without Garrett.
The Rams (5-6) seem to be on the other side of the “everything is falling apart at once” injury spectrum. They certainly aren’t feeling unlucky entering Week 13 after cruising to a 37-14 road win in Arizona last week. Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes, and Kyren Williams went off in his return from IR, rushing 16 times for 143 yards to go with six catches for 61 yards and a pair of scores. Williams’ production didn’t push backfield mate Royce Freeman entirely to the periphery, as he was still able to rush for 77 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Betting odds for Browns vs. Rams: Point spread, moneyline, total for NFL Week 13 matchup
Here are the latest NFL betting odds for Browns vs. Rams:
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Browns betting news: Cleveland has been a hot play ATS as of late
The Browns have somehow racked up a 7-4 record and a 7-4 record ATS in 2023. An even more impressive stat is that they’ve gone 4-1 against the number in their last five tries. It’s going to be a bit tricky to account for this week, as we wait to see if Dorian Thompson-Robinson passes the concussion protocol and gets back in the saddle. If not, Cleveland is likely to start P.J. Walker at QB ... unless Kevin Stefanski throws us for a loop like when he opted to give the nod to DTR over Walker when Deshaun Watson was lost for the season. This time around the quarterback carousel offers the possibility that recently-signed Joe Flacco could be dusted off and named starter.
Whoever throws the ball for Cleveland on Sunday will be relieved and greatly benefited by their top WR Amari Cooper’s rib x-rays being negative, clearing the way for him to suit up. While the Browns are 7-4 overall ATS, they’ve fared better in the Dawg Pound than they have on the road, where they’re 1-3-1 thus far.
The biggest factor to keep in mind when betting this game (and for everything Browns betting related, period) is whether Myles Garrett is a go or not.
Rams betting news: Los Angeles’ offense is finally healthy and producing
The Rams are 5-5-1 ATS this year. They’re a paltry 1-4 in their last five attempts, but they’ve finally got the whole gang back together on offense. They certainly looked more like a playoff-caliber team with Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams on the field together than they did while missing the elusive back and his 5.3 YPC during Weeks 7-11.
Betting the UNDER on Los Angeles has panned out to the tune of 5-2 in the last seven weeks, and with that line sitting at 39.5 they could continue their winning over/under ways on Sunday at home.
Cooper Kupp and Puka Nakua are one of the top WR tandems in the NFL, although like the rest of the Rams offensive unit they haven’t been blessed to be healthy together for most of 2023. Another Rams wrinkle is that with Kupp and Nakua healthy, slot speedster Tutu Atwell stands to shine more. That was the case last week where Atwell notched 76 yards receiving, outpacing Kupp (18) and Nacua (17).
TE Tyler Higbee also enjoyed having the gang back together, scoring twice. His production should continue trending upward this week.
Browns vs. Rams props
Sportsbooks had not yet posted Browns vs. Rams player props as of this writing, but two angles to pursue include:
- Kyren Williams has found paydirt five times in his last five games. Combine Anytime TD scorer odds on Williams and Tyler Higbee together, and you’ve got yourself a stew going.
- Browns RB Jerome Ford has averaged 13 carries per game in the Browns last five. Regardless of whether Cleveland starts DTR, PJ Walker, Joe Flacco or Bernie Kosar, this team is going to run the ball out of necessity. They’re not going to score a lot, and field position and limiting turnovers on the road (after committing three last week) will be paramount. Look for the OVER on carries and yards by this backbone of the Browns offense.
Browns vs. Rams prediction
The Rams are in the playoff hunt now that they have some semblance of health. The Browns offense is basically taped together at this point. Fresh off their 37-point outburst last week, look for LA to score about half that much this week at home, but still emerge victorious. “Next man up” sounds a lot better than it works, and that’s a lesson Cleveland fans are going to continue witnessing as their QB situation seemingly grows more dire each week.
Pick: Rams