AFC North Browns And Steelers 2024 NFL Schedules, Odds And Betting Preview

Previews and betting tips for the 2024 NFL season – Browns and Steelers

The 2024 NFL season kicks off with a Thursday/Friday doubleheader starting Sept. 5 with the full Week 1 Sunday schedule Sept. 8. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 46.5) host the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5 in an AFC playoff rematch with those two teams the AFC favorites to reach Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans. The AFC North Browns and Steelers are looking to break through in the AFC North with the Ravens and Bengals favored as division champs in 2024. The season preview for the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers is provided below along with player props, schedules and odds.

NFL Week 1 Matchups And Odds – My update in Forbes. 

But as training camp continues and football and fantasy fans get the juices flowing ahead of the 2024 NFL season, sports bettors are pouring through the teams schedules, rosters, stats, odds, futures and props and making bets at leading online sportsbooks. That includes on the AFC teams and  NFC teams with AFC North Browns and Steelers.

AFC West – Chiefs and Chargers
AFC West – Raiders and Broncos 
AFC East – Bills and Jets
AFC East – Dolphins and Patriots
AFC North – Ravens and Bengals
AFC South – Texans and Jaguars
AFC South – Titans and Colts

Football odds from top online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. AFC North Browns and Steelers.

Cleveland Browns

Season Win Total: 8.5 (Over -147) Bet Over
Division Odds: +500 / AFC Odds: +2200 / Super Bowl Odds: +4000
Record Last 2 Years: 11-6, 7-10
Head Coach: Kevin Stefanski (5th season)

Browns Schedule, Odds and Props

Division games and advance point spreads (DraftKings)

Week 7 Cincinnati Bengals (CLE +1 / 46.5)
Week 8 Baltimore Ravens (CLE +1 / 45.5)
Week 12 Pittsburgh Steelers (CLE -3 / 43.5) Thurs
Week 14 at Pittsburgh Steelers (CLE +1 /43.5)
Week 16 at Cincinnati Bengals (CLE +3.5 / 45.5) Thurs
Week 18 at Baltimore Ravens (CLE +4.5 / 44.5)

Other Key Games
Week 1 Dallas Cowboys(CLE -2 / 44)
Week 2 at Jacksonville Jaguars (CLE +1 / 45)
Week 4 at Las Vegas Raiders (CLE -2.5 / 43.5)
Week 6 at Philadelphia Eagles (CLE +3 / 45.5)
Week 9 Los Angeles Chargers (CLE -3 / 43.5)
Week 13 Denver Browncos (CLE -3.5 / 43.5) MNF
Week 15 Kansas City Chiefs (CLE +3 / 46.5)
Week 17 Miami Dolphins (CLE -2 / 44.5) SNF

Bye: Week 10

Home: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Kansas City, LA Chargers, NY Giants, Miami
Away: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Washington, Jacksonville, New Orleans

Key Player Props (regular season)

QB Deshaun Watson – O/U 3,200.5 Passing Yards / 19.5 Pass TD’s / 9.5 INT
WR Amari Cooper – O/U 950.5 Rec Yards / 70.5 Receptions / 5.5 Rec TD’s
WR Jerry Juedy – O/U 700 Receiving Yards / 57.5 Receptions / 3.5 Rec TD’s
TE David Njoku – O/U 700.5 Rec Yards / 67.5 Receptions / 4.5 Rec TD’s
DE Miles Garrett – O/U 13.5 Sacks

Stats and Notes (check back ahead of season for more betting notes). Handicapping and research includes sources and stats from beat writers, team sites and press notes, bettors and newsletters or betting guides like VSiN, Sharp Football, Playbook, CleveAnalytics, ESPN Stats & Info and more including FairwayJay’s proprietary data base and stats.

The Browns face one of the most difficult schedules in 2024 with 12 games against teams that had winning records in 2023. That includes five home games against playoff teams last season. Overpaid/rated Quarterback DeShawn Watson returns following injury and six starts last season, and works under new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who had much success with the Bills. The Browns started five different QB’s last season including signing Joe Flacco off his couch, and he propelled them to the playoffs for the second time in four season and third double-digit win season since 1994. The overall roster stacks up well and a dominant defensive front led by Defensive POY Myles Garrett, who was instrumental in the Browns No. 1 ranking in yards per play, EPA/play and total yards allowed, and top-5 in takeaways. Running back Nick Chubb returns following a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 last season, but won’t be ready to start the season, and WR Jerry Juedy comes over from Denver to fill the No. 2 WR spot. With better health and PFF’s No. 4 ranked offensive line (No. 1 last year to start the season), the Browns should improve significantly from last year’s 28th-ranked offense by EPA/play. Sharp Football ranks the Browns roster best in the AFC and third overall in the NFL. Stefanski won his second coach of the year award last season. But will bonehead Bro QB Watson finally deliver on the ridiculous price the Browns paid to acquire his talent and overcome his off-field and injury issues? Despite a difficult schedule, anything less than .500 or the playoffs is a failure in 2024.

Pro Football Focus Offensive Line Rankings Entering 2024 Season (Browns No. 4, Steelers No. 9)

Betting: The Browns are just 2-7 ATS the last nine road games at Cincinnati (Week 16). Prior to that, the Browns have a Monday Night road game at Denver in Week 13 followed by a short week road game at Pittsburgh in Week 14. Teams in this spot are just 44% ATS since 2000 including 40% the second half of the season. The Browns were 5-0 in games decided by 3-points or less last season. Look at their key games above and you’ll see 11 games lined at 3-points or less, and two more at 3.5 on pre-season spreads. Those betting lines changes during the season based on production, results and QB play and/or injuries, of which the Browns had many last season.

FairwayJay has been a top of the leaderboard point spread prognosticator with 57% ATS success posting his NFL underdog picks weekly the past 7 years. That includes an unmatched 70% season in 2021 going 28-12 ATS. His previous NFL handicapping, strategics and sports betting success included 8 straight winning NFL seasons (57.3% ATS) starting in 2003 while independently documented and a professional handicapper including 52-28 ATS (65%) bursting onto the national scene his rookie year (feature Las Vegas Sun). FairwayJay provided weekly insight on a most popular daily sports betting and handicapping radio show heard in Las Vegas and nationwide on SiriusXM radio.

FairwayJay’s NFL handicapping contest success includes back-t0-back 60% seasons and top 6% finishes in the Westgate SuperContest.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Season Win Total: 8.5 (Under -140) – Bet Under
Division Odds: +600 / AFC Odds: +2500 / Super Bowl Odds: +5000
Record Last 2 Years: 10-7, 9-8
Head Coach: Mike Tomlin (18th year)

Steelers Schedule, Odds and Props 

Division games

Week 11 Baltimore Ravens (PIT +3 / 43)
Week 12 at Cleveland Browns (PIT +3 / 43.5) Thurs
Week 13 at Cincinnati Bengals (PIT / 46)
Week 14 Cleveland Browns (PIT -1 / 43.5)
Week 16 at Baltimore Ravens (PIT +6 / 42.5) Sat
Week 18 Cincinnati Bengals (PIT +1 / 43.5)

Other Key Games
Week 5 Dallas Cowboys (PIT +1.5 / 43) SNF
Week 6 at Las Vegas Raiders (PIT -1 / 42)
Week 7 at New York Jets (PIT +1 / 43) SNF
Week 15 at Philadelphia Eagles (PIT +4.5 / 45)
Week 17 Kansas City Chiefs (PIT +4 / 42.5) Wed, Dec. 25

Bye: Week 9

Home: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, LA Chargers, NY Giants, NY Jets
Away: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Washington, Indianapolis, Atlanta

Key Player Props 

RB Jaylen Warren – O/U 600.5 Rushing Yards / 4.5 Rushing TD’s / 325.5 Rec Yards / 50.5 Receptions
RB Najee Harris – O/U 800.5 Rushing Yards / 6.5 Rushing TD’s
WR George Pickens – O/U 975.5 Rec Yards / 65.5 Receptions / 4.5 Rec TD’s
TE Pat Freiermuth – O/U 500.5 Rec Yards / 50.5 Receptions / 3.5 Rec TD’s
LB A. Highsmith – O/U 7.5 Sacks, LB P. Queen O/U 125.5 Tackles & Assists

Stats and Notes

The Steelers won their final three games last season to avoid their first losing season under 18th year head coachg Mike Tomlin. They were a quick out in the playoffs and mostly a fraud, as the Steelers were outgained in each of their first 10 games in 2023, and finished 9-2 in one score games and are on an incredible 31-11 (74%) run in close games in the last four seasons. Poor play calling and pathetic production for Pittsburgh, and now the Steelers move on from QB Kenny Pickett (Eagles) to a pair of QB’s trying to regain their footing in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Good luck. Those two QB’s ranked 1-2 in percentage of pass attempts that were thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage last season, and No. 2-3 in percentage of deep targets. Fortunately, Pittsburgh has stability and strength along the offensive line and the Steelers OL is the only unit in the NFL that has started every game over the past two seasons. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will utilize a run-heavy approach, and could turn to younger and more mobile QB Justin Fields sooner than expected if the offense isn’t efficiency early in the season. No excuses for QB Wilson and the offense facing the Falcons, Broncos and Colts in the first four games, although all three on the road and the 5-win Chargers at home. A rare schedule situation doesn’t have the Steelers playing a division game until Week 11, and Pittsburgh’s brutal late season schedule includes the six division games plus a road game at Philadelphia and home game against Kansas City. That’s the toughest eight-game stretch and includes 3 games in 11 days starting in Week 15. Despite a consistent and solid defense that was No. 7 in EPA and has the league’s sack leader in TJ Watt, the Steelers are going to have a losing season for the first time under HC Tomlin – you can bet on it.

Betting Since 2000, there have been 15 other teams that have won at least 82% of their close games in a season and only one team (2020 Seahawks) improved their win total the next season. Two teams’ win totals stayed the same and 12 won fewer games the next season. On average, these teams have won close to three games fewer the next season and just last season we saw the Vikings win six less and the Eagles three less games. Ideally, the Steelers have some early-season success with a softer schedule, but that would set up plenty of bet against opportunities, including adjusted win totals.

You can bet on it.

AFC North Browns and Steelers originally posted at OSGA on Aug. 9.