This article is part of our NFL Picks series.
NFL Futures Bets: 2024 Browns Win Totals
Betting team wins and other full-season futures requires patience. If placing a bet in the preseason, the payout usually won't occur until January. That said, there are edges to be gained in the betting market. The more knowledge we have about each team's talent on each side of the football provides an edge in the NFL win totals market.
In addition, projecting potential intangibles can add value. Examples of intangibles are teams that add a new coach/coordinator, or teams that made multiple moves to the less glamorous positions on the field. For those who followed this article series I wrote last season, we projected nine teams, winning six for a 66.7 percent win rate. Overall, the series was a moneymaker. This year, we'll look to continue that win percentage.
In this article, we'll look at the Cleveland Browns over 8.5 wins at -135 odds. These odds, as well as all other NFL win totals odds, can be found at DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Browns Outlook: Offense
Last year, the Browns used five different quarterbacks. The offensive line was decimated with injuries. Also, the best player on the offense, Nick Chubb, was lost for the season in Week 2. Regardless, Cleveland scored a respectable 23.2 points per game.
Currently, the offensive line is expected to be healthy. It's uncertain how well Nick Chubb will recover from his knee injury, but there is a good chance he will be available for much of the season. Even though Deshaun Watson has not been good during his time in Cleveland, the quarterback showed signs of being at least average in the last two games he played before suffering a season-ending injury in 2023. Finally, Jerry Jeudy was acquired in the offseason and should be an upgrade from Elijah Moore to give the team an upgrade at wide receiver.
Of course, Amari Cooper and David Njoku return as excellent pass-catching options. This may not be a great offense, but they should score more points per game than they did last year.
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Browns Outlook: Defense
An underreported story from last year is that Myles Garrett hurt his shoulder and was not the same player after Week 11. In 10 healthy games, Garrett had 13 sacks. While dealing with injury, the superstar had one sack in his last seven games.
This team remains loaded with pass-rushing weapons. However, without a healthy Garrett, the pass rush faded late in the season. Now fully recovered, Garrett and company will be in their second year with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. A veteran DC, Schwartz is a master at dialing up pressure. With a trio of very good cornerbacks along with solid safeties, this defense may actually take a step forward this year.
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Schedule
As always, the Browns have six games against the AFC North foes. There's little reason to expect that Cleveland won't win about half of those games. They also face the AFC West- aside from the Chiefs, this is a favorable division to square off against. In terms of the NFC, The Browns are scheduled against the NFC East as well as the New Orleans Saints. This is not a difficult schedule.
Best Bet for 2024 Browns Win Total
I recommend the Cleveland Browns over 8.5 wins at -135 odds. These odds can be found at DraftKings Sportsbook. I normally don't like laying odds as high as -135. For that to happen, the bet has to have a high probability of cashing.
That said, the defense is going to give any opponent with a limited offense all they can handle. With the offensive line back healthy, there should be enough firepower on offense to stay competitive most weeks. Coming off a 12-win season when the team had a lot of bad breaks, the win total doesn't make sense. They may not repeat those 12 wins, but winning double-digit games again seems likely for the Browns.