The NFL regular season is reaching it’s end and two teams who have already confirmed their post-season positions will clash this week when the Kansas City Chiefs make the trip to face off with the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns have had a terrible campaign and currently sit with a 3-10 record and any playoff hopes they had already dashed, while the Chiefs have been near-perfect with a 12-1 record and have already claimed the AFC West title.
We’ll take a look at the match up and provide you with our best free NFL betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash while you take in the action on the field.
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The Browns have had a really torrid time so far this season, and it started on the opening day with a 33-17 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.
A win over the Jacksonville Jaguars followed in week 2, but the team then went on a horrific five-game losing run where they conceded 20+ points in each game. The New York Giants claimed a 21-15 win before the Las Vegas Raiders beat them 20-16 in week 4. The Washington Commanders thrashed Cleveland 34-13 next, before 16-20 and 14-21 defeats respectively against the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals followed.
That losing streak was shockingly snapped in week 8 however when they hosted the Baltimore Ravens and earned a 29-24 win, but the momentum failed to carry over as the Lose Angeles Chargers comfortably beat them 27-10 in the next game.
A bye week came in week 10 but Cleveland have lost three of four since, with the New Orleans Saints hitting 35 points and the Denver Broncos hitting 41 in their games. The Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 in week 12, but they got their revenge last time out with a 27-14 win.
The reigning champions opened up their season with a big clash against the Baltimore Ravens in week 1 and came away with a vital victory thanks to some strong late defending.
Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals wasn’t straightforward and Patrick Mahomes needed all his experience and quality to help the team come from behind in the fourth quarter to claim a tight 26-25 win. In week 3 it was another routine win over the Atlanta Falcons as they won 22-17, before a week 4 win over the Chargers saw a comfortable 17-10 scoreline.
They followed that up against the New Orleans Saints in week 5 and earned a dominant 26-13 victory, before a bye in week 6. They returned to action in week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers and claimed a routine 28-18 win, before a 27-20 win over the Raiders in week 8.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were up next in a highly entertaining game where another fourth-quarter comeback helped them to earn the 30-24 win in overtime, before the Chiefs claimed a 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos thanks to the special team blocking a last-second field goal attempt.
Kansas then suffered their first defeat of the season, falling to the Buffalo Bills in a great game that saw the hosts claim a 30-21 victory. But they bounced back in their next game with a fortunate 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers to get back to winning ways thanks to more late defensive heroics. They then added to that with back-to-back 19-17 wins over the Raiders and Chargers last time out to claim the AFC West for a ninth consecutive season.
Kansas are on fire this season and while some of the performances haven’t quite been what many would have expected, they continue to find a way to win games of football consistently.
With the AFC West title all wrapped up already there is every chance that the starting team will see some changes and there will be less intensity in their play, but they’re also still arguably the best team in the NFL and will want to stay warm as they prepare to try and become the first team to ever three-peat the Super Bowl.
The Browns have little to play for at this point and their lack of quality means that even if the Chiefs aren’t at their best, they could still be on the wrong end of a walloping.
Kansas will be in party-mode but with their quality, record this season and opponents it shouldn’t be difficult or shocking for them to win by a touchdown or more. Back them on the spread.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
The Browns have been horrendous defensively this season and from their 13 games so far they have conceded 20 or more points in 11 of them.
The Chiefs will be confident of making that 12 of 14, but defensively they will be worried by their own performances in recent weeks despite their victories and are likely to use this as a chance to tighten up in that regard.
Three of Kansas City’s last five games haven’t hit this mark, and it won’t be a surprise to see a lopsided victory on their end that comes in under the total again. Back the under in a game where neither team has much to play for.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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