After two games on the road, the St. Louis Rams head back home to face the ever-unfortunate Cleveland Browns. The Browns came dang close from pulling off a shocker last Sunday, when they pushed the undefeated Denver Broncos to the brink before finally succumbing in overtime. Will the Browns avoid going lower in the AFC North by shooting down St. Louis? Or will the Rams get back into action following a bye with aplomb?
For more Week 7 game previews, you can also read our breakdown of Bills vs. Jaguars and Ravens vs. Cards.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Cleveland Browns vs. St. Louis Rams Preview and Prediction
Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis
When: Sunday, October 25, 9:30 PM ET
Line: Cleveland Browns (+5.5) at St. Louis Rams (-5.5); total: 41.5 – see all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Cleveland Browns (2-4)
[sc:NFL240banner ]It was close but not quite for the Browns on Sunday, as they nearly took down undefeated Denver at home on Sunday.
Up against the league’s top defense, the Browns had the gall to take a 20-16 lead with a little over eight minutes to play in the last period before eventually losing the ball game, 26-23, in overtime. In that game, Josh McCown threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns with a couple of picks. Of course, those interceptions were understandable considering that McCown is a backup quarterback masquerading as a starter going up against Denver’s talented secondary.
But it’s not all McCown’s fault, as he was protected by a mediocre offensive line that let Denver sack him four times.
It’s not about to get any easier for McCown and the Browns’ O-line next week with the Rams’ dangerous pass-rush unit awaiting them at Edward Jones Dome. So far this season, the Rams are third in the league with 19 sacks, which is made even more impressive by the fact that they didn’t play last week.
One positive takeaway for the Browns in the Denver game was the continued rise of Gary Barnidge. Barnidge caught just three balls on Sunday, but he was able to turn two of those into touchdowns, inflating his season totals to 415 receiving yards and five receiving scores. Expect McCown to look for Barnidge, especially inside the red zone, where the tight end has been making a living.
Defensively, the Browns have to improve their pass rush. Peyton Manning made 48 passing attempts and yet the Browns weren’t able to take him down once. More importantly, Cleveland’s front seven will have to bottle up the Rams’ running game that ranks 13th in the league with an average of 113.8 rushing yards per game.
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last five road games.
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Betting on the St. Louis Rams (2-3)
After facing Aaron Rodgers, the Rams are going to play against Josh McCown. In other words, St. Louis has a big reason to feel confident heading into its Week 7 matchup with the Browns.
Before taking a rest in Week 6, the Rams were in Lambeau Field, where they were handily defeated by Green Bay, 24-10. As what the score suggests, the Rams had a hard time putting up points on the board. Nick Foles had a game he’d rather forget, as he passed for only 141 yards and a touchdown, while throwing four interceptions. He also absorbed three sacks at the hands of the Packers’ pass rush.
Cleveland, however, has a punching bag defense that even the Rams’ bland offense could exploit. For one, the Browns are 30th in the league in total defense (407.3 yards allowed per game), 18th in passing defense (257.5), and worst against the run (149.8).
That last figure holds the key to another huge game from Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley, who has been sensational over the team’s last two games. After tearing Arizona’s defense apart for 146 rushing yards in Week 4, Gurley went back to work the following game and ripped Green Bay with a 159-rushing-yard performance.
While Cleveland’s defense has its share of holes against the pass, expect Foles to hand the ball to Gurley early and often this coming Sunday.
The Rams, however, will also have to watch out for Cleveland’s backfield that might serve them a dose of their own medicine. The Browns could go run-heavy early to loosen up St. Louis’ focus on McCown. That means the Rams’ run defense that surrenders 113.4 rushing yards per game will have to come prepared for guys like Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson, and Robert Turbin.
The under is 3-1 in the last four games of St. Louis, which averages just 16.8 points per game.
Writer’s Prediction
Cleveland (+5.5) wins, 23-18..
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