Browns vs. Texans NFL Pick – Week 13

Betting odds provided by Sportsbetting.ag

Browns vs. Texans Pick:

Baker Mayfield has excelled since Hue Jackson got fired. His numbers went up immediately, as he settles in and shakes off the rookie jitters from earlier in the season. Mayfield is playing looser on the field and looking like he did in college. He threw 4 touchdowns and 6 interceptions with Jackson as the bench boss.

Since his firing, along with offensive coordinator Todd Haley, Mayfield has thrown 9 touchdowns and 1 interception. Those aren’t numbers that can be ignored. I would argue the defenses he’s played has something to do with that as well. Their last three games have been against the Chiefs, Falcons, and Bengals. Take note of where they rank defensively. 32nd, 30th, and 28th is where those three defenses rank.

Credit should be given to Mayfield for his recent surge. At the same time, everything should be kept in perspective considering the defenses he has been able to feast on. The Bengals’ defense is horrible, so let’s see him do it against a dangerous Houston defense. The Texans are 8th in the NFL with 333.6 yards allowed per game. Houston is going to bring a pass rush at Baker that he hasn’t seen in weeks.

Watson has been proficient under center for the Texans as well. He’s coming off a 2 touchdown performance against a solid Tennessee defense to bring his total numbers to 20 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. In the last five weeks, he’s hit his targets for 11 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions.

Watson has been feeling it and the arrival of Thomas as a receiver has only helped. Lost in the play of Baker has been how bad the Browns’ defense has been. They are 31st with 415.4 yards allowed per game. This is the second consecutive road game for Cleveland, while Houston will be home for their second in a row. Oddsmakers have this spread a bit too low. Look for the Texans to emerge with a 30-20 or 33-23 win on Sunday.