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Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals Predictions, Odds & Expert Picks for NFL Week 18 2026 for Sunday, 01/04/26

Paycor StadiumCBS
Browns
6-10
Browns
Yesterday
Bengals
4-12
Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals

Browns vs Bengals Pickswise Expert Predictions

Point Spread Pick
CIN Bengals -7.5(-108)

The 2 teams that have been eliminated from AFC North contention will collide when the Cincinnati Bengals entertain the Cleveland Browns in Week 18 of the NFL season on Sunday afternoon. While Baltimore and Pittsburgh slug it out for the division title, credit to Cleveland and Cincinnati for playing hard down the stretch. The Browns upset the Steelers last weekend, while the Bengals have won 2 straight. Unfortunately for Cleveland, there really isn’t anything that impressive about beating Pittsburgh these days. My Browns vs. Bengals pick is for the home team to win and cover.

These 2 division foes have bookend games against each other. The first meeting came in the opener; now they go head-to-head in the finale. That Week 1 contest in Cleveland went Cincinnati’s way via a 17-16 decision. A lot has changed since that point in time, although Joe Burrow is back in action for the Bengals while the Browns are trying to figure out when they have in Shedeur Sanders. Early returns are not terrible, but they are also far from spectacular. For all intents and purposes, this is a matchup that boils down to Cincy’s offense against Cleveland’s defense. I will roll with the unit that put up 45 and 37 points in the past 2 outings.

Browns vs Bengals prediction: Cincinnati Bengals -7.5 (-108) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Ricky Dimon
Game Totals Pick
Over 44.5(-110)

These 2 teams want to follow very different game scripts. Cincinnati is an offense-led squad that wants to play fast and light up the scoreboard. Cleveland’s success — the little it has enjoyed — comes from the defense; low-scoring slogs are nothing out of the ordinary. Needless to say, the over correlates nicely with backing the Bengals either ATS or on the ML; the under would work best with hammering the Browns either ATS or on the ML. I’m siding with Cincy, so my other Browns vs. Bengals pick is over 44.5.

It’s not a play that involves a ton of confidence; going with the over in any game involving Cleveland is always a risky — just as backing the under in any matchup involving Cincinnati is a similarly difficult sell. The bottom line, though, is that Burrow has the offense rolling right now. The Bengals are averaging 41 points per game over the past 2 weeks. It is true that the Browns’ defense is stellar, but this is a team that has long since been eliminated from the postseason. Head coach Kevin Stefanski’s crew played inspired football in Week 17 when it had a chance to spoil Pittsburgh’s division-clinching ideas, but there are no such stakes involved in this Week 18 game. I’m not saying both defenses won’t play with fire, but urgency could be lacking. It’s a very slight lean toward the over for me.

Browns vs Bengals prediction: Over 44.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Ricky Dimon
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Ricky Dimon

Since graduating from Davidson (The College That Stephen Curry Built), I have been writing about sports -- just about any and all you can think of! -- and coaching tennis in Atlanta, GA. Beyond the four major sports, I am an avid tennis fan and cover the ATP Tour on a daily basis. If I'm not busy writing, you can generally find me on a tennis court or traveling the world wherever a sporting event takes me. For Ricky Dimon media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.
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Money Line

The Browns have lost 4 of their last 5 games.

Point Spread

The Bengals' last 3 wins came by a margin of at least 18 points.

Game Totals

The Over is 2-4 in the Bengals' last 6 games.

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