The Cleveland Browns will take on the Washington Commanders in NFL Week 5 action on Sunday, October 6. Can Jayden Daniels and the Commanders stay hot? Or will the Browns finally break out of their early season rut?
Our betting guide below has all of the odds and predictions that you need for this intriguing game. We'll also deliver a best bet at the end before signing off. Good luck with all of your Week 5 wagers!
The Browns main weakness so far this season has been its offense. Cleveland ranks dead last in yards per play and next to last in yards per pass. Much of the blame falls at the feet of Deshaun Watson, who has only thrown for 727 yards through 4 games.
The main reason for Watson's struggles has to do with the offensive line, which has been decimated by cluster injuries. Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin have been hurt and Ethan Pocic has missed some time as well. The good news is that David Njoku should be back at tight end if he responds well in practice this week.
As bad as Cleveland's offense has been, the defense has still been pretty solid. The Browns rank 9th in yards per play allowed and 8th in yards per pass allowed. Myles Garrett already has 4 sacks, and he continues to be one of the elite pass rushers in the league.
Jayden Daniels grew up before our very eyes during Washington's upset victory over Cincinnati on Monday Night Football in Week 3. The former Heisman Trophy winner backed up that outing with another tremendous performance against Arizona in Week 4. This kid continues to torture opposing defenses with both his arm and his legs.
Daniels's main offensive weapons so far this year have been Brian Robinson Jr. at running back and Terry McLaurin at wideout. He's also dialed up veteran tight end Zach Ertz quite a bit on some key third down plays. The Commanders run the ball at a 53.82% clip, which is the 3rd most in the NFL.
The Washington offense has been stellar, but the defense has been flat out terrible. The Commanders rank next to last (31st) in both yards per play allowed and yards per rush allowed. The key question is whether Cleveland can take advantage of these weaknesses.
This play fits my classic "Buy-Low, Sell-High" criteria to a T. The look-ahead line was a pick'em and now we're getting more than a field goal! Cleveland has looked downright hopeless in 3 of its 4 games so far this season. On the other hand, Washington looks like they can do no wrong, as they're sitting at 3-1.
I've been impressed with the Commanders, but their lack of defensive prowess makes it hard for me to trust them to cover more than a field goal, even at home. Daniels has been amazing, but racking up stats against the Bengals and Cardinals doesn't exactly knock my socks off.
This will be the toughest defense Daniels has seen so far, and I think the Browns can knock him off his game at least a little bit. Look for Cleveland to get a few key guys back for this one and cover this number on the road. Give me the Brownies!
Prediction: Browns 21 - Commanders 20