Is this the start of something new for the San Francisco 49ers? The lowly Niners successfully marched back into the winning column after a thrilling 26-20 overtime win at the expense of the Chicago Bears. They will now hope to sustain this momentum by making it back-to-back wins in a favorable matchup with the Cleveland Browns this weekend. Who will emerge victorious in this one?
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this intriguing showdown. And while you’re at it, check out our other Week 14 previews: Vikings at Cardinals and Falcons at Panthers. Enjoy.
[sc:Football ]San Francisco 49ers vs. Cleveland Browns Preview
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland
When: Sunday, December 13, 1:00 PM ET
Line: San Francisco 49ers (+1.5) at Cleveland Browns (-1.5); total: 41.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the San Francisco 49ers (4-8)
[sc:NFL240banner ]Blaine Gabbert to the rescue! The San Francisco 49ers captured their fourth win of the season thanks to the heroics of their 26-year-old quarterback, who arguably had the best game of his career on Sunday opposite the Bears.
Gabbert showcased his dual-threat abilities as he threw for 196 yards and a touchdown while also rumbling for a team-high 75 rushing yards with a score. That all-around performance was just enough to lead the Niners towards an inspiring 26-20 overtime triumph at Soldier Field. Up next on their schedule is date with the Cleveland Browns this weekend.
The Niners, who are 1-6 SU and 2-4 ATS on the road this season, have to feel good about going up against one of the worst defensive teams in the NFL today. Cleveland is currently allowing 398.8 yards of total offense (30th) and a league-worst of 28.9 points per game. That said, expect Gabbert to continue leaning on the duo of RB Shaun Draughn and WR Torrey Smith to help him carry some of the offensive load.
Draughn has been filling in for the injured Carlos Hyde (foot) as the No. 1 option at the running back position for the past five games. He did a good job in doing so against the Bears, running for 36 yards on 13 carries with a score and had five catches for 50 yards. Smith, on the other hand, has hauled in four of six targets for 127 yards receiving in the past two games. He has also compiled a total of 529 receiving yards on 22 receptions across 12 games, which is the second-most in the team.
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Betting on the Cleveland Browns (2-10)
Things just keep getting worse and worse for the Cleveland Browns. They were dismantled by the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon with a final score of 37-3. It was their most lopsided loss of the season since 2005 and their seventh-straight setback. The performance of Andy Dalton and the Bengals’ defense simply proved to be too much of a hurdle to overcome.
Dalton completed 14 of his 19 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns while carried the ball four times for 11 yards and a third score to lead the way for the Bengals. Their defense, meanwhile, prevented the Browns from reaching the end zone and held them to just three points.
Fortunately though, the Browns only have four games remaining in their dismal season and the next one will be against the San Francisco 49ers, who’ve had their own share of struggles this season, at FirstEnergy Stadium. They are 1-5 SU and 1-4-1 ATS at home this year.
For them to successfully notch the win, Johnny Manziel, who’s expected to regain starting quarterback duties against the Niners, has got to be more accurate with his passes and his decision-making on and off the field. Manziel threw for a career-high 372 yards with a touchdown and a pick against Pittsburgh before being demoted for lying to his team.
Manziel will have a pair of reliable targets to choose from. Wide receiver Brian Hartline had a team-high of 83 yards on eight catches against Cincinnati, while tight end Gary Barnidge trailed with 59 yards on five receptions. The two will attempt to dissect a Niners’ defense which ranks sixth-worst in the league with 269.9 passing yards given up per contest.
But it’s worth noting that the Browns are going to be short-handed in this one again. The pair of Travis Benjamin (shoulder) and Marlon Moore (ribs) left Sunday’s game due to injuries and the status of both for next week is questionable.
Writer’s Prediction
Niners win by single digits. Create a betting account now and cash in on all the NFL regular season action.
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