With back-to-back trips to the AFC title game, the Cincinnati Bengals are predicted to be a top contender for the Lombardi Trophy once more. However, the Cleveland Browns are no pushovers when they do battle with the Bengals and will be hosting their rivals in the season opener. Who’ll come out on top of this storied AFC North matchup?

Nitrobetting is ready to equip its bettors with the latest news, NFL odds, and special features for the entire duration of the 2023 NFL season. This time, let’s take a closer look at the upcoming NFL Week 1 showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns.

Bengals vs. Browns Game Information

We've announced our initial 53-man roster for the 2023 season.

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 29, 2023

• When: Sunday, September 10, 2023, 1:00 PM ET
• Where: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
• TV: CBS
• Radio: 700 WLW AM (Bengals) // 850 ESPN Cleveland (Browns)
• Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
• NFL Odds: Bengals (-1.5) // Browns (+1.5)

READ MORE: Raiders vs. Broncos 2023 NFL Week 1 Odds, Preview & Pick

Why Bet on the Cincinnati Bengals?

After a trip to the Super Bowl and a 10-7 record in the 2021 campaign, the Cincinnati Bengals improved to a 12-4 record last season and reached the AFC Championship Game for the second straight time. Although they lost to the Chiefs in the rematch, the sky is still the limit for the ever-improving Bengals franchise.

Joe Burrow enters his fourth full season in the NFL and is hot off a new career-high 35 touchdown passes while also throwing for over 4,400 yards for the second straight season. Burrow’s former LSU teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, played just 12 games but still finished with over 1,000 receiving yards and nine TDs. All in all, Cincinnati’s dynamic duo is as potent as they come when it comes to the league’s best QB-WR pairings.

The Bengals were tied with the Cowboys for the fifth-best scoring defense last season, allowing just an average of 20.1 points per game. However, Cincy lost a few key defensive starters, namely safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell, with the former being an All-Pro talent. This defense will be tested by a Browns team that has gotten the better of them of late as further highlighted in the betting trends section.

Why Bet on the Cleveland Browns?

Things did not go as planned for the Cleveland Browns, who broke the bank to sign controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson during the 2022 offseason. Watson didn’t start until midseason for Cleveland last year, with the three-time Pro Bowl play-caller throwing for just 1,100 yards, seven touchdowns, and five picks in six starts.

In turn, the Browns finished at the bottom of the AFC North standings with a 7-10 mark. On the bright side, Watson has now had an entire offseason to get better acquainted with Cleveland’s offensive playbook. He also has a superb supporting cast in running back Nick Chubb (four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons) and top wideout Amari Cooper (1,190 receiving yards and nine TDs in his first year in Cleveland).

Former first-overall pick Myles Garrett made the All-Pro team for the fourth time in his career and finished with 16 sacks last season to match his career-high set the previous year. The Browns also had the fifth-best passing defense in the league (196.2 PYAPG), as their defense will look to do a feasible job holding its own while their offense gets back into a proper groove with Watson at the helm.

Jaguars vs. Colts Betting Trends

• The Bengals went 6-3 on the road last regular season (7-2 ATS).
• Cincinnati has won four straight games against their AFC North rivals (2-2 ATS).
• The totals went over in three of Cincy’s last four divisional matchups.
• The Browns went 4-5 at home last year (SU/ATS).
• Cleveland won eight of the last 10 meetings against the Bengals (4-6 ATS).
• The totals went over in each of Cleveland’s last three homestands.

Jaguars vs. Colts Expert Betting Predictions

The odds would state that the Bengals are merely slight favorites to win their season opener against a division rival with a losing record in the prior campaign. Then again, Cleveland has beaten Cincy more times than not over the last half-decade. Watson should be more prepared for the task at hand this time around as well, which has us believing that the Browns can indeed pull off the home upset in NFL Week 1.

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