The Cleveland Browns were 20-point underdogs entering their season finale against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. It was the biggest spread of the season and apparently big enough to convince bettors that the hapless Browns could at least pull off their first victory against the spread since November, if not their first outright victory in the same span.
These bettors were unfortunately wrong. Baltimore beat Cleveland 35-10, scoring twice in the final seven minutes to cut 70 percent of tickets at BetMGM and 61 percent of the money on a Browns coverage.
The Ravens are currently favored by 20 points over the Browns today, according to @ESPNBET.
This would be the largest point spread in the NFL since 2021 (Cardinals vs. Texans).
Over the last 30 years, there have been 9 games where the margin was 20 or more. The favorites are 9-0 in these matches.
– Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 4, 2025
The Ravens are currently 19.5 point favorites against the Browns tomorrow at @DKSportsbook.
That would be the largest spread in the NFL since the Cardinals were 20.5-point favorites against the Davis Mills-led Texans in 2021. The Cardinals covered that spread by winning 31-5. pic.twitter.com/ouMl0UDKWc
-Blake Krass (@BlakeyLocks) January 3, 2025
The game ended with the NFL’s largest margin since the Cardinals were 20.5-point favorites against the Texans in 2021, according to DraftKings Network’s Blake Krass. Favorites by at least 20 points or more are now 10-0 ATS, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
Some bettors thought the Ravens would cover at least the first half’s spread, if not the entire game’s number, and they were wrong, too. Cleveland couldn’t keep up for four quarters, but kept the game close enough to cover -12.5 in the first half, which was the highest first-half total since 2019.
This game showed exactly why the Browns are the Browns and why bettors are probably better off leaving the Week 18 action alone.
This article was originally published on For The Win: Browns hit new low against Baltimore and widest spread of NFL season
