Am I an idiot for wanting to bet on the Browns? I don't know football nearly as well as you guys all do, but here's what I'm thinking:
- Home opener is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) game for the Browns all season. Therefore, they should be playing with a lot of intensity and enthusiasm. Hue Jackson is a great rah rah guy and his players will play hard for him.
- Defense should be significantly better than last year with new talent and Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator. They were smashing teams in the preseason (it's preseason, I know, but still.)
- Cleveland has an improved offensive line which should complement their running game. Running the ball eats up clock.
- Le'Veon Bell held out until September 1st, so one would think there will be some f*ckups during week 1 (missed blocks, lack of coordination on runs w/ offensive line, etc.) that wouldn't otherwise be there.
Of course, counter arguments are that Pittsburgh's the significantly better team and a rookie QB making his NFL debut is probably going to turn the ball over in some dumb spots, Joe Haden might've spilled the beans if he had any insight into what the Cleveland defense was planning, just cut Calvin Pryor, etc.
Maybe it's a sucker bet, but I'm kind of tempted to take the points on them.
Pretty much what Wil said. Would never take Pit in this spot but would rather skip than take the Browns. The emotional stuff does matter sometimes but the week 1 rival stuff I dunno; the last time they played @Cleveland week 1 it was a rout. And when the Browns were the better team w/ Schottenheimer they won like 50-0 or something @Pit week 1.
We've waited too long for this. Lots of clicking buttons on my not-so-sharp locals especially on their alt lines. Let's hope it's a good season for everyone!
Well those second halves went badly, lets hope the late games go better. Added Caro u46.5 -110 and GB-2.5 -105 for the same amount as my Sea +3 to try and land on the 3. Biggest play is Caro -2.5, not going to be the best start regardless.