Preview, Prediction & Key Battles – Cleveland Browns @ Kansas City Chiefs, start time 9:25pm live on Sky Sports NFL. We will have match highlights and results.
Key Battles:
Can the Browns get pressure on Pat Mahomes: In an almost identical situation to the earlier game, we have a team having to rely on their nasty defensive front to chaos total chaos. And like with the Steelers with TJ Watt, the Browns are armed with a game changer at pass rusher in Myles Garrett. Tampa Bay laid out the blue print to halting the KC juggernaut in the SuperBowl in February and the Brown are potentially one of the few teams who can follow it. But the Chiefs have completely rebuilt the offensive line that got torn to shreds in that game. This will be a tough 1st test for that unit.
Can Cleveland keep the KC defense on the field and offense off it? We all know by now just how explosive this Chiefs offense can be. One way to negate that problem is by limiting their opportunities to get on the field. If the Browns can take the pace out of the game with slow, time consuming drives that wear down the Chiefs defense and keep Mahomes and his buddies on the sideline for much of the game, they have a great shot at a win. If they let the Chiefs build a head of steam though, it could be a long day.
Can KC stop Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt? Essentially an extension of the previous point. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt have a legit claim to being the league’s best 1-2 punch at running back. And if Cleveland can establish a dominant ground attack early, it will provide Baker Mayfield a great platform to run those play actions and RPO’s to keep them off balance. Kansas City will need to be tuned in right from the off.
Boylesports Betting:
Moneyline: Cleveland 2/1 Kansas City 2/5
Over/Under: 54.5
Spread: Kansas City -5.5
Swing for the fences bet: Austin Hooper 1st TD + Tyreek Hill 2nd TD 100/1
Prediction
Recent history tells us that losing SuperBowl finalists struggle to find their way back, but my gut tells me Kansas City are an exception to that rule. I feel like that SuperBowl may have had the opposite effect on them, and only made their resolve even stronger. An emphatic win over a very strong Cleveland side would send out a marker to the rest of the league. But that will be easier said than done here. The Browns aren’t coming to make up the numbers and they have enough fire power to cause a lot of problems. I’m going to go with the Kansas City revenge tour getting off to a good start though with an 8 point win
