Week 7 Thursday Night Football sees a clash of two teams looking to snap losing runs. After a winning start to the season, the Denver Broncos travel to First Energy Stadium on the back of three consecutive defeats. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns slumped to 3-3 with a shellacking by the Arizona Cardinals. Who will prevail on Thursday night? Let’s take a look at the current NFL odds, TV channel, how to live stream, as well as a Broncos vs. Browns prediction in Week 7.
Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns prediction and odds | Week 7
[bet-promo id=”149453″]- Spread: Browns -5.5
- Moneyline: Browns -235, Broncos +190
- Over/Under: 43 (Over -115, Under -105)
Odds from DraftKings sportsbook
Are you hoping to make Thursday Night Football financially fruitful? Do you want to bolster your bank account from this Broncos vs. Browns battle? If you’re looking to make a little money predicting the future, it’s worth considering the past before you lay down your hard-earned cash.
The Broncos hold a 24-6 winning advantage over the Browns, having won the last matchup between the two franchises in 2019. The Browns’ 17-16 win in 2018 was their first win since 1991, snapping an 11-game losing streak in the head-to-head that included two overtime defeats in 2003 and 2015. The Broncos are 14-12 when playing on Thursday night, whereas the Browns are 8-11.
Betting trends
Yet, Cleveland is a -235 favorite per DraftKings. They’re simply a better team when fully healthy than the Broncos. Home favorites are 32-23 straight up this season, and the Browns should add to the win column on Thursday Night Football.
Although Cleveland has only covered the -5.5 spread twice (1970 and 1972) in previous Broncos vs. Browns matchups, I like them to cover on Thursday. Their three wins have come by 10, 20, and 7-point margins this season. Meanwhile, the Broncos’ three consecutive losses have been by 16, 8, and 10-point margins. Cleveland should buck a home favorite 22-33 ATS record in the 2021 NFL season.
The over/under is a tough call. Just 10 of the previous 30 matchups have hit the over, with five games hitting the 43 line exactly. The Browns are 4-2 against the over this season, while the Broncos are 2-4. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 43 line hit again on Thursday Night Football.
Broncos vs. Browns prediction
Week 7 Thursday Night Football sees a rematch of the 2008 Week 10 Broncos vs. Browns TNF matchup. Denver won 34-30 with a Jay Cutler touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall in the final two minutes of the game. Can the Broncos secure another dramatic victory for what would be their 25th win in the Broncos vs. Browns encounter?
The answer to that question might rest solely on the Browns’ inactive report that will be released later this week. After injuring his calf in the Week 5 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, Nick Chubb missed the Week 6 loss to the Cardinals.
Fellow running back Kareem Hunt was ruled out by head coach Kevin Stefanski early in the week. While Hunt is a loss, if Chubb doesn’t suit up on Thursday, it would be devastating for the Browns’ offense. Only Derrick Henry has more yards per game than Chubb. With the Broncos allowing the lowest completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks, ground game success could be key to Cleveland’s chances of coming away with a win.
Can either defense regain form?
Having given up 84 points in the last two weeks, the Browns will need to recapture the defensive fortitude that helped them limit both the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears to under 10 points. Although both teams have similar yardage allowed in both passing and rushing defense, the Broncos have allowed just 18.3 points per game compared to the Browns’ 25.2 points per game.
Defensive success has always been Broncos head coach Vic Fangio’s calling card. However, they gave up 8.2 yards per play at home to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. Furthermore, he needs to get more out of his offense if Denver is to obtain a favorable result from this Broncos vs. Browns matchup.
If Chubb is healthy, he may simply be too good, even for a solid Broncos rush defense.
Prediction: Cleveland Browns 26, Denver Broncos 17
How to watch and listen to Broncos vs. Browns this week
- Start time: 8:20 PM ET
- Channel: FOX, NFL Network, Amazon
- Live stream:
- Sling
- Hulu+ Live TV
- fuboTV
- YouTube TV
- DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket
- NFL Mobile App
- Listen:
- TuneIn Radio
- Sirius XM Radio
- NFL Gamepass
- KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM