The Cincinnati Bengals are out of excuses heading into the 2025 season —if they’re serious about another Super Bowl run, it’s time to ditch the slow starts and lock in on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
Cincinnati has lost its last three season openers, but this is a favorable Week 1 matchup against a Cleveland team that’s short on star power and still relying on Joe Flacco under center.
My Bengals vs. Browns predictions signal an explosive start for Joe Burrow and this Cincinnati offense, with Tee Higgins living up to his new big-money contract. Check out my NFL picks for this September 7 battle.
Bengals vs Browns prediction
Bengals vs Browns Best bet: Tee Higgins Over 63.5 receiving yards (-114)
There were times last season when Tee Higgins’ days with the Cincinnati Bengals seemed numbered, but the Bengals got a deal done in March, going all-in on an elite receiver duo for Joe Burrow.
While Higgins would be a No. 1 receiver on plenty of teams, he gets the benefit of more single coverage in Cincinnati, with defenses throwing double teams at Ja’Marr Chase. That makes him my top target for Sunday’s clash with the Cleveland Browns.
I’ll gladly jump on the Over for Higgins’ receiving yards against a secondary he’s dominated in prior matchups. He had four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown against the Browns in Week 7 last season. Though Higgins fell just short of this 63.5 line in the second meeting last year, he was targeted 11 times.
There’s lots of yardage to go around in Cincinnati, with Burrow set to air it out again, so don’t be discouraged by Chase’s presence. If anything, it frees up Higgins, who averaged 75.9 receiving yards per game last season. He’s got the size to tower over cornerbacks, and Burrow isn’t afraid to send jump balls in his direction.
As long as this offensive line can prevent Myles Garrett from wrecking the game plan, Higgins should get enough volume to nail this prop.
Bengals vs Browns same-game parlay
While I’m wary of the Bengals’ bad early-season habits, it’s not enough to dissuade me from laying the points as the second leg of my SGP. After all the quarterback drama in Cleveland, the Browns landed on the safe choice with Joe Flacco, but that won’t scare a Cincinnati team that’s won three in a row against Kevin Stefanski’s men — all by a margin of 7+ points.
Cleveland will have to take some chances in the passing game to keep up with Burrow, and David Njoku stands out as a strong checkdown option for Flacco. Njoku had 18 catches on 24 targets in the two games against the Bengals in 2024, so 5+ grabs here feels more than reasonable.
Bengals vs Browns 3-leg SGP
- Tee Higgins Over 63.5 receiving yards
- Bengals -5.5
- David Njoku Over 4.5 receptions
Our big-ticket SGP: Back Brown, not Browns
- The Cincinnati backfield belongs to Chase Brown this year, and his stellar second half of last season flew somewhat under the radar with so much attention on Burrow’s heroics.
- Brown found the end zone 11 times in 2024, and I see him starting his 2025 TD tally on Sunday while chipping in as a pass-catcher, too. He had 20+ receiving yards in six of his final eight outings last year.
Bengals vs Browns 5-leg SGP
- Tee Higgins Over 63.5 receiving yards
- Bengals -5.5
- David Njoku Over 4.5 receptions
- Chase Brown anytime touchdown
- Chase Brown Over 19.5 receiving yards
Bengals vs Browns odds
- Spread: Bengals -5.5 | Browns +5.5
- Moneyline: Bengals -250 | Browns +200
- Over/Under: Over 45.5 | Under 45.5
More NFL picks and odds from Covers
Bengals vs Browns trend to know
The Browns have only covered the spread in six of their last 20 games. Find more NFL betting trends for Bengals vs. Browns.
How to watch Bengals vs Browns
| Location | Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland, OH |
| Date | Sunday, September 7, 2024 |
| Kickoff | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
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