Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals Prediction, 1/4/2026 NFL Picks, Best Bets & Odds Week 18

Game: Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals

Date: Sunday, January 4, 2026

Location: Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH

TV: CBS

Odds-Point Spread: Bengals (-7.5)

Total-Over-Under: 44.5

The Cleveland Browns (4-12) are traveling to Paycor Stadium on Sunday where they will compete against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-10). Cincinnati is 7.5-point favorites. The total is 44.5.

The Cleveland Browns head into this game 4-12 over the course of this year. The last time they stepped on the gridiron, the Browns played the Pittsburgh Steelers and earned the victory with a final of 13-6. Dylan Sampson led the offense in rushing for the Browns with 11 totes for 27 yds (2.5 yds per attempt). Jerry Jeudy left with an average of 10.8 yards per catch by accounting for 54 yards on 5 catches. Shedeur Sanders connected on 17-23 with 186 yards passing and 1 TD. He had a quarterback rate of 75.6 and ended the game with 2 interceptions. On the ground, the Browns gave up 131 yards on 24 tries, which averages out to 5.5 yards per rush surrendered. Cleveland gave up 21 completions on 39 tries for 160 yards, and a completion percentage of 53.8%. Overall, they ran 48 plays for 262 yds. The Cleveland Browns ended up rushing 25 times and totaled 78 yards, which is an average of 3.1 yards per tote.

The Browns have a total of 4,256 total yards so far this year. Cleveland has tallied 130 first downs, and they have been hurt by 104 infractions for 800 yds. When examining scoring touchdowns, Cleveland has amassed 16 touchdowns via the pass and 10 touchdowns via the ground. They have surrendered the ball 24 different times (18 INTs and 6 lost fumbles). Offensively, they're maintaining an average of 95.7 rush yards giving them a rank of 27th in football. When analyzing notching touchdowns, the AFC North representatives are averaging 16.2 points per contest.

When analyzing pass yds, the Browns have granted 2,621 total yards, which ranks 2nd in the league. They have granted 163.8 total yards per outing through the air, and are giving up a completion% of 62.3%. All in all, they have conceded 1,837 running yards through 16 contests over the course of this season. They have conceded 22 touchdowns via the pass, in addition to 14 touchdowns via the ground game. Altogether, they are granting 278.6 yards per outing, which ranks 2nd in pro football. They are giving up an average of 4.1 yards per rush on the ground and 114.8 rush yards per game over the course of this year. The Browns are sitting 14th in pro football when it comes to their opponents scoring, conceding 22.6 PPG.

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The Bengals come into this game with a record of 6-10 for this campaign. In their last game, the Bengals got the victory with a final of 37-14 against the Arizona Cardinals. Joe Burrow (2 touchdowns) finished the game with 305 yds on 24-31 through the air while his quarterback rating was 129.1. He didn't throw any interceptions and his average yards per pass attempt was 9.8 yds. Chase Brown carried the football 22 times for 101 yards, finishing the contest with 4.6 yds per attempt for Cincinnati. Ja'Marr Chase was featured in the passing game for the Bengals, bringing in 7 throws for 60 yards (8.6 yards per reception). Cincinnati ran for 3.4 yards per attempt, finishing with 120 yds on 35 attempts. The Bengals finished the contest with 429 yards and they ran 71 plays (6.0 yards per play). The Bengals secondary allowed a completion percentage of 56.8%, relinquishing 191 yds on 21 out of 37 through the air. Cincinnati relinquished 13 running attempts for 42 yds (3.2 yards per rush).

When examining their ability to score points, the Bengals are sitting 12th in pro football, maintaining an average of 24.8 PPG. For the season, the Bengals have thrown for a total of 3,783 pass yds and are averaging 236.4 pass yds per outing, which ranks 6th in the league. They have an average of 90.6 rushing yards per game, and have rushed for 1,449 total yards. The Cincinnati Bengals have an average of 327.0 yards per contest, which has them ranking 18th in pro football. The Cincinnati offense has conceded 593 yards by way of 82 penalty flags, giving them a rank of 30th in football if you examine hurting your team. They have thrown 16 picks while giving up 6 lost fumbles, and have earned 197 1st downs as a team.

They have allowed 33 touchdowns through the air in addition to 243.3 yards through the air per game, ranking this team at 27th in football. Cincinnati has granted a total of 2,382 rushing yds (148.9 yds per game), along with 18 touchdowns to runners over the course of this year. Their defense has tallied 20 turnovers (7 forced fumbles and 13 picks) over the course of this year. In total, they have yielded 472 points. The Bengals defense has participated in 996 plays from scrimmage, giving them a rank of 19th in pro football. The Bengals are granting 29.5 PPG, which has them sitting 31st in professional football.

Who will win tonight's Browns-Bengals NFL game against the spread?

Parlays Pundit's Pick: Take the Bengals -7.5 and over 44.5 total points

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