Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 12/12/2021

Game time: 1 p.m. ET

Venue: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH

Where to watch: CBS

DraftKings: Browns -2.5

BetMGM: Browns -2.5

Caesars: Browns -2.5

Ravens: 8-4 (1st place, AFC North)

Browns: 6-6 (Last place, AFC North)

Ravens: lost 20-19 at Steelers

Browns: Bye (lost 16-10 at Ravens in Week 12)

We're reaching blasphemous levels on the Baltimore Ravens being underdogs this weekend against the Cleveland Browns.

Even though the Ravens lost by one to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week and somehow didn't have their AFC North chances take a hit, Baltimore is still facing a Browns team it held to 10 points two weeks ago.

While the Browns are fighting for their playoff lives and essentially need this must-win situation to go their way, luck is not on Cleveland's side. The Ravens have not only won the last four, but have also covered as favorites the last four meetings. That includes the last matchup in Cleveland, that epic 47-42 Monday Night matchup nearly a year to the day of Sunday's game.

"Defense, I thought, played great," Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said prior to the bye week. "We need to play better, make more plays, complementary football."

The Browns did everything right in that last meeting against the Ravens. Not only did they hold Lamar Jackson to just 165 passing yards, but also intercepted him four times, three of them in the second half.

Jackson played better last week in the 1-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing for 253 yards, a touchdown and a pick, but got no help from the running game and didn't make enough plays on the road to get the win. Baltimore went for the ballsy move of going for two after driving down the field for the tying touchdown, but Jackson missed Mark Andrews in the end zone and lost the game.

"We tried to win the game right there," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "We were pretty much out of corners at that point in time. It was an opportunity for us to win the game right there."

The Ravens have, for the most part, dominated the past few meetings. While things could change, the fact is Cleveland has only won two of the last 10 meetings and the under has cashed in seven of them. The Browns are going to need to score points in order to win this game, easier said than done, but Cleveland has been held to 21.2 points per game. That's a mark that should not be happening for this much talent.

Baltimore, meanwhile, has the ninth-best scoring defense (21.7 PPG) in the league. If it comes down to it, defense will rule the roost.

The Ravens getting the points is a crime. Baltimore is 10-2-1 against the spread in its last 13 in Cleveland and unless Mayfield turned into Otto Graham during the bye week, I can't expect the Browns to rebound in any capacity. Ravens by 10

The under is 4-0 in the Ravens’ last four games.

The Ravens are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 when the line is between +3 and -3.

The Ravens are 17-6 ATS in their last 23 games during the second half of the season.

The Browns are 2-13-1 ATS in their last 16 home games against a team with a winning record on the road.

The Browns are 8-10 ATS as a home favorite in their last 18.

Ravens: Running back Devonta Freeman had 97 yards from scrimmage last week in Pittsburgh, a positive sign for Baltimore trying to find a consistent running game.

Browns: Running back Nick Chubb has recorded at least 140 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in two of his past three games.

Passing: Lamar Jackson – 2,865 yards, 16 TD, 13 INT

Rushing: Lamar Jackson – 825 yards, 6 TD

Receiving: Marquise Brown – 825 yards, 6 TD

Defense: Tyus Bowser – 5.5 sacks

Passing: Baker Mayfield – 2,413 yards, 11 TD, 6 INT

Rushing: Nick Chubb – 867 yards, 6 TD

Receiving: David Njoku – 407 yards, 3 TD

Defense: Myles Garrett – 14 sacks