While the NFL gave fans their fair share of twists and turns throughout the 2023/24 season, few developments were as pleasantly surprising as the rise of the Cleveland Browns (11-6) and Houston Texans (10-7). When the Super Bowl LVIII odds were released back in February, these teams had the 18th and 32nd longest odds respectively. Now, they'll meet in the playoffs just 11 months later.
The AFC Wild Card clash between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 3:30 p.m. CT on NBC. Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge will be on the call for the national broadcast.
Joe Flacco and Co. will travel to take on the AFC South champions for a second time in the last month. The Browns beat the Texans rather handily on Christmas Eve at NRG Stadium, 36-22, but don't expect such a one-sided affair during the rematch in the AFC Wild Card Game.
Stroud missed the first matchup due to a concussion, so veterans Case Keenum and Davis Mills stepped in to try and fill his shoes. Keenum's struggles put Houston behind the eight ball early as he turned the ball over twice and only accounted for 62 yards of offense. The Texans mounted a late comeback in garbage time with Mills under center, but all it did was make the game look a lot closer than it was in actuality.
Flacco was elite as he, Amari Cooper (11 receptions, 285 yards and two touchdowns) and David Njoku (six receptions, 44 yards and a touchdown) torched Houston's banged-up secondary. The one warning sign, though, was the Browns' inability to run the ball. Jerome Ford Jr. and Kareem Hunt each averaged less than two yards per carry in the contest.
FanDuel Sportsbook is favoring the visitors in the rematch by three points with a total set at 44.5. Cleveland is just a field goal favorite this time around, despite winning by two touchdowns last time out, as rookie sensation C.J. Stroud is set to play on Saturday. The Browns (-142) have an implied probability of 58.68% in the first-round playoff matchup.
Both teams have been above average against the spread this season. Cleveland has the fifth-best ATS record in the NFL at 10-6-1 with the Texans (9-8) not far behind. The Browns' total record is 11-6 toward the over, whereas Houston's 6-11 record tilts in the opposite direction, to the under.
Let's take a closer look at the odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, as of Monday, Jan. 8, 2024:
Cleveland Browns (11-6) at Houston Texans (10-7)
Time/TV: Saturday, Jan. 13, 3:30 p.m. CT (NBC)
Spread: Browns -3 (-104)
Over/Under: 44.5
Moneyline: Browns -142, Texans +120