The Indianapolis Colts will host the Cleveland Browns this weekend from Lucas Oil Stadium on CBS.
Cleveland Browns Preview
Cleveland moved to 3-2 after defeating San Francisco at home. The Browns spoiled a lot of Sunday’s with a scrappy victory over the once-undefeated 49ers, and they’ll look to keep things going here in Indy. The Cleveland offense is scoring 19.0 ppg, while passing for 198.2 ypg, rushing for 147.0 ypg, and converting 30.6% of their third downs.
Browns Player Props
• Deshaun Watson is trending towards playing this weekend, but with his status still in air, there is a chance P.J. Walker gets the call at quarterback. The former Carolina QB did just enough to get the Browns past the finish line last week with 192 yards, but he did toss a pair of interceptions.
• Jerome Ford came through with big gains in the second half of the win over San Francisco, and he leads the Browns in rushing with 270 yards on 67 touches.
• Amari Cooper managed to hit the 100-yard mark for the second time in three weeks, and he leads Cleveland in receptions (22) and receiving yards (367).
• The Cleveland defense has allowed 15.4 ppg.
Indianapolis Colts Preview
Indianapolis fell to 3-3 after losing to Jacksonville on the road, 37-20. The Colts weren’t able to keep up with their divisional foes, and they’ll look to get back into the win column here at home. The Indy offense is scoring 23.3 ppg, while passing for 243.2 ypg, rushing for 116.7 ypg, and converting 38.1% of their third downs.
Colts Player Props
• Gardner Minshew wasn’t able to get the job done in his return to Jacksonville last weekend, going for 329 yards with a touchdown, but he tossed three interceptions. The former Wazzu QB has been thrusted into the lineup with rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson set to miss the rest of the season, and he’ll seek better results here at home. Minshew has passed for 882 yards, with three touchdowns to three interceptions through four games of action.
• Zach Moss found the endzone for the third time in two weeks versus the Jags, and he leads the Colts in rushing yards (466).
• Jonathan Taylor gained 65 yards against Jacksonville, and he’s due for a bigger workload in the coming weeks.
• Michael Pittman Jr. had a strong 9-catch, 109-yard outing last week, and he leads his new team in receptions (40) and receiving yards (406).
• Josh Downs scored his first big league touchdown last Sunday, and after catching five passes or more in three of the last four games, and he’s posting splits of 28/276/1.
• The Indianapolis defense is allowing 25.3 points per game.
Cleveland vs Indianapolis Trends
• CLE is 3-2 against the spread, with a 1-3-1 O/U record.
• IND is 3-3 ATS, with a 4-2 over/under record.
Corey’s Free Pick
Cleveland’s effort last week shouldn’t go unnoticed when approaching this contest. The Browns will have a chance to wreck this game from the defensive end, and if they can get another solid game-managing effort from either Deshaun Watson or P.J. Walker, they can leave Indy as winners. Back Cleveland for this matchup on Sunday, and give the Under a look if both backup quarterbacks are contained by the strong defense.
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
