Browns vs Bengals

Joe Burrow and the Bengals enter this Week 18 Battle of Ohio on a two-game winning streak, having lit up Miami and Arizona to close the gap on what’s been a disappointing 6-10 campaign, while the 4-12 Browns just snapped a four-game skid by spoiling Pittsburgh’s division-clinching hopes. With both teams already eliminated from the AFC playoff race, motivation tilts toward Cincinnati finishing strong behind a healthy Burrow, who is 5-2 as a starter this season and coming off back-to-back 300-yard-level performances, versus Cleveland’s rookie Shedeur Sanders making just his seventh start and operating behind a banged-up line. The Browns’ injury report is loaded with key pieces — Myles Garrett (hip), Joel Bitonio (wrist), David Njoku (knee/personal) and Harold Fannin Jr. (groin) among many limited or DNPs — while Cincinnati’s main concern is lead back Chase Brown (illness), which matters but doesn’t swing the quarterback edge. Garrett’s 22 sacks this year and 15 career sacks against the Bengals make him a real game-wrecker, yet Cincinnati’s improved offensive line has held up well during this late-season surge, and the Bengals already eked out a 17-16 win in Cleveland back in Week 1. Given the home field, the clear QB advantage and the Browns’ inconsistency, Bengals -400 on the moneyline is the pick, even if the price is steep enough to drop this to an A- rather than a full A. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 02/01/2026 11:36. ([clevelandbrowns.com](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/browns-vs-bengals-game-time-for-week-18-officially-announced-2025?utm_source=openai))

Recent form points to volatility and scoring upside that makes Over 44.5 attractive despite both teams being out of the playoff picture. Cincinnati’s offense has finally clicked with Burrow back, dropping 45 points on the Dolphins and 37 on the Cardinals in December, with Ja’Marr Chase snapping his TD drought and Chase Brown pushing toward a 1,000-yard rushing season as a true dual threat. On the other side, Cleveland’s offense has swung wildly: Shedeur Sanders hung 364 yards and 4 TDs in a 31-29 shootout loss to Tennessee, then managed just 3 points in Chicago before the Browns found enough balance to score 20 vs. Buffalo and 13 in their defensive slugfest over Pittsburgh. That profile — a live-armed rookie QB, a thin TE room (Njoku and Fannin both on the report) and a defense built around one transcendent pass rusher — tends to create either short fields off sacks/turnovers or explosive plays when protections hold, both of which support points. With Burrow not being rested, Cincinnati still chasing some offensive momentum, and Cleveland likely leaning into an aggressive, nothing-to-lose approach, this projects into the high 40s more often than not, but the week-to-week Browns variance and a strong front seven cap the confidence level at a solid-but-not-elite B on the Over. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 02/01/2026 11:36. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/nfl/browns-play-spoiler-steelers-dont-score-td-loss--flm-2025-12-28/?utm_source=openai))

Against the number, the hook on +7.5 makes the Browns the more interesting side, even if the Bengals are the likelier winner. Cincinnati did edge Cleveland only 17-16 back in Week 1, and many of the Browns’ late-season games have been tight: a 31-29 loss to Tennessee, a 23-20 loss to Buffalo and then the 13-6 upset of Pittsburgh, suggesting they can hang within one score even when outclassed. Myles Garrett has 15 career sacks against the Bengals — more than he has versus any other opponent — and now chases the all-time single-season sack record in this finale, a narrative that virtually guarantees he’s on the field and attacking for four quarters, complicating life for Burrow and raising the odds of drive-killing negative plays. While Cleveland’s roster is beat up at key spots (Bitonio, Njoku, Fannin and several defenders), Sanders has shown he can keep the offense functional or even explosive in spots, and Cincinnati’s own dependence on a questionable Chase Brown plus their already-secured vacation plans introduce classic Week 18 backdoor-cover risk. Expect the Bengals to escape with a home win, but with Garrett’s impact and Cleveland’s tendency to play close games, taking Browns +7.5 at -110 earns a B+ as a live underdog against the spread. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 02/01/2026 11:36. ([clevelandbrowns.com](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/browns-vs-bengals-game-time-for-week-18-officially-announced-2025?utm_source=openai))