The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns meet at FirstEnergy Stadium for what would have been an electric atmosphere if we had a full crowd. Despite receiving plenty of criticism since he came into the NFL, Baker Mayfield has his Browns going into Monday Night Football with a record of 8-3. No, it’s not the Ravens who are a 8-3 team going into Week 14, it’s the Browns.
There are no guarantees that the Ravens are going to the playoffs either. They head into Cleveland with a record of 7-5. The Ravens are losers in three of their last four games, and needed to meet with the hapless Dallas Cowboys before they ran into a four-game losing streak. The Cowboys arrived on the schedule at the perfect time for the Ravens.
The Ravens are third in the AFC North in what is certainly a surprise for many people. They trail the Browns and Steelers in a very competitive division. No one predicted seeing Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on the playoff bubble, but they’re going to cut things close at the end of the season. Jackson still has wheels and can slice through a defense like butter.
We saw it against the Cowboys, but the Ravens have been too predictable. When the run isn’t there for Jackson, the Ravens’ offense has a tendency to sputter. He has an arm, but not sure the ability is there to read a defense effectively compared, to say, Patrick Mahomes. Jackson passed for 107 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception against the Cowboys. He ran for 94 yards and a score, as his legs were once again his most dangerous weapon.
The Browns are coming off an entertaining 41-35 win over the Tennessee Titans. Baker was hot with 334 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air. With the victory, the Browns’ winning streak extended to four games. This is a big spot for both teams. The Ravens can’t afford to slip to 7-6, while the Browns want to show they’re for real and put a stranglehold on a spot in the playoffs. Head below for our free Ravens vs. Browns props for December 14, 2020.
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Lamar Jackson Passing Yards
Lamar Jackson is coming off a less than desirable performance through the air against the Cowboys. However, keep in mind that the Ravens were in complete control and didn’t need to pass the football. The running game between Lamar, Gus Edwards, JK Dobbins, and Mark Ingram was rolling. While the Ravens will run the ball effectively on Monday night, they are likely going to look to exploit a soft Cleveland secondary. The Browns have conceded 256.9 yards per game, which is better than just six teams in the NFL.
Jackson has passed for 208, 170, 249, 186, and 107 yards the last five games. He’s passed for more than 200 yards in four games this season, hence the low total on his pass prop here. However, in his first meeting against the Browns, Jackson passed for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. In two games in 2019, Jackson passed for 247 and 238 yards. Like I said, the Browns’ secondary is nothing to get excited about. I like him to pass for 220 to 250 yards, so the OVER is a good option here.
Nick Chubb Receiving Yards
Despite failing to play a full season, Nick Chubb has ran for 799 yards and 7 touchdowns on 6 yards per carry. Chubb’s effort the past four weeks has gone under the radar. He’s been impressive with a total of 464 yards, including three 100-yard games. Chubb has recorded five 100-yard games in eight games. The Browns weren’t using him much in the passing game earlier on, but Baker has been looking his way recently.
Chubb was targeted only four times in his first six outings this season. However, in the last two games alone, Baker has thrown to Chubb on four occasions. He caught 3 receptions for 32 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then a catch for 26 yards last week against the Tennessee Titans. I’m going to take my chances and lay a bet on Chubb to notch at least 7 yards receiving on Monday.
Rashard Higgins Receptions
The Ravens are going to be a tough matchup for Baker Mayfield and the Browns. An x-factor might have to show up for the Browns. That guy won’t be tight end Austin Hooper because he is unlikely to play tonight. Rashard Higgins has played the x-factor role well at times for the Browns this season, including last week. Higgins caught 6 receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown against the Titans. He didn’t break a season-high, but it was one of his better performances of the year.
Higgins had 6 receptions and 110 yards earlier in the season against the Cincinnati Bengals. Through the last four games, Higgins has been playing well with at least 48 yards in three of four outings. In all three of those games, Higgins made at least 3 receptions. Higgins has totaled 400 yards and 3 touchdowns through nine appearances in 2020. He isn’t an all-star by any means, but he knows his role and serves it well. A three-reception game for Higgins looks attainable on Monday night.
