Rosenhaus wants his client out of Cleveland, but the Browns, who picked up the fifth-year contract option on Njoku in April, have no plans to move him, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not publicly commenting on the situation.

Rosenhaus told ESPN that ”it is in David’s best interest to find a new team at this time.” He did not respond to a message from the AP seeking further comment.

Njoku was selected with the No. 29 overall pick in 2017. He caught 88 passes for 1,025 yards and scored eight touchdowns in his first two seasons. However, he broke his wrist in Week 2 last season against the New York Jets, underwent surgery and played in just four games.

His future in Cleveland came into question when the Browns signed two-time Pro Bowler Austin Hooper in free agency, and again after the club drafted Harrison Bryant, the John Mackey Award winner in college last season from Florida Atlantic, in the fourth round.

However, both general manager Andrew Berry and first-year coach Kevin Stefanski have consistently said during the offseason that they believe Njoku can contribute for the Browns.

”We still have a ton of belief in David,” Berry said after the draft in April. ”He’s very talented. Obviously, he was not on the field much last year, but he’s a guy with outstanding physical tools, he has proven NFL production and we still think the future is very bright with him here.

”David has always been and continues to be in our plans, and we’re going to continue to add competition all across the roster.”

Stefanski used formations with multiple tight ends while serving as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator and intends to run a similar system in Cleveland.

Last season, Rosenhaus was able to work a trade to get disgruntled running back Duke Johnson out of Cleveland. He was dealt to Houston.

The post Agent asks Browns to trade tight end David Njoku appeared first on IdealCapper.

They get a chance to prove all of those offseason maneuvers paid off when they host their archrivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Sunday.

It’s not fair to fully judge Cleveland’s progress in its opening match. It is tempting, though, considering how the squad has been revamped and the enthusiasm has been ramped up.

”Honestly, I would rather not look back,” says Browns coach Hue Jackson, and why would he with a 1-31 record in charge? ”I just feel really good about this group. They’re against the best team in our division. It is a huge game.”

It also doesn’t hurt the Browns that Pittsburgh has been missing one of its best players, star running back and holdout Le’Veon Bell.

Still, as Jackson notes, the Steelers have been the cream of the AFC North for a long time, while the Browns have been the downtrodden.

Regardless of Bell’s status – James Conner is the backup – the Steelers have a dynamic offense thanks to receiver Antonio Brown, perhaps the NFL’s best player; quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, still a force in his 15th pro season; and a talented offensive line.

”If we start off with James, we’ll be fine either way,” guard Ramon Foster says. ”He’s a guy that’s made strides. He’s made us confident in him. So he gets the start, we roll with him. No disrespect to (Bell), we’ve got to move. This is a moving train.”

Meanwhile, quarterbacks get too much attention these days, but the San Francisco 49ers’ visit to the Minnesota Vikings is one game where they have to be the focal point.

The Vikings spent about the entire budget of the state of Minnesota on Kirk Cousins after he played two seasons under the franchise tag in Washington. So while the return of rookie sensation (until he hurt his knee) Dalvin Cook to the backfield is quite intriguing, most eyes will be on how Cousins fares with far more talent around him.

San Francisco was in quarterback purgatory a year ago, then pulled off an October deal for Jimmy Garoppolo. The youngster who hasn’t lost in seven career starts, got a huge contract, too. He’ll face one of the NFL’s toughest defenses in this one.

A key returnee is quarterback Andrew Luck for the Indianapolis Colts, who welcome the Cincinnati Bengals. A shoulder injury that some claim was misdiagnosed, others say was mishandled, sidelined Luck for all of 2017. When healthy, he is elite, although the squad under new coach Frank Reich appears anything but.

Cincinnati brought back Marvin Lewis, the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL, and also re-signed its top two defenders, Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins. They’ll try to wreak havoc on Luck.

The Houston Texans at New England could be a highly revealing matchup for the first round.

Like so many teams, the Texans are hoping to stay away from the injury bug that ruined them last season. Getting back JJ Watt, probably the best defensive player the NFL has seen in the past half-dozen years, and Whitney Mercilus is huge. So is having Deshaun Watson at quarterback after his sensational rookie performances before wrecking his knee.

More than ever, the spotlight in New England will be on defensive improvement. Unless age catches up to him – and he plans to play until he is 45 – Tom Brady at 41 remains the Michael Jordan of the NFL.

Mike Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a linebacker and sometime touchdown-catching receiver. He’s taken over a Tennessee Titans squad that made the playoffs and upset Kansas City last winter, and seeks to build on such success in the rugged AFC South. Look for running back Derrick Henry to be the workhorse on offense and corner back Malcolm Butler trying to show he deserved to play for the Patriots in their Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia.

They go to the Miami Dolphins, whose season could depend on how much Frank Gore has left as a ball-carrier. Gore is closing in on fourth place on the career rushing list, seemingly Hall of Fame credentials.

The post No team wants to distance itself from 2017 more than Browns appeared first on IdealCapper.

Coleman was named in a Cleveland police report following an incident Dec. 31 at a downtown condominium building. According to the report, a witness said a verbal confrontation between a group of four men and a couple getting off an escalator escalated into a physical altercation.

The victim awakened after the dispute and did not recognize any of the men, but was told by his female companion that Coleman was the one who assaulted him. The police report said the victim, Adam Sapp, spent one night at Lutheran Hospital. He told police he suffered a concussion, ruptured ear drum and bruises.

Coleman’s attorney said the No. 15 overall pick last year was not involved.

”My client denies participating in this incident,” attorney Kevin Spellacy said in a statement. ”He will fully cooperate with the appropriate authorities and looks forward to clearing his name from what has been alleged.”

A Browns spokesman said the team was aware of the allegation and had no further comment.

The police are in the process of reviewing video footage from the lobby.

Coleman, who missed six weeks with a broken hand, played in Cleveland’s finale at Pittsburgh on Jan. 1. He finished with 33 catches for 413 yards and three touchdowns this season.

—

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

The post Browns WR Corey Coleman denies involvement in fight appeared first on IdealCapper.

Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 18, 2016
Where: New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Bills -10.
O/U: 41.5
PREDICTION: Buffalo 30, Cleveland 14

Oddsmakers currently have the Bills listed as 10½-point favorites versus the Browns, while the game’s total is sitting at 41½.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills are all but assured of extending the NFL’s longest playoff drought. They are adamant about avoiding another dubious distinction — becoming the first team in 2016 to lose to the Cleveland Browns.

“We ain’t gonna be that team,” Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus said Wednesday. “That’s just a guarantee.”

The Bills (6-7) and Browns (0-13) resume their Rust Belt rivalry on Sunday at New Era Field. Interest in the game is low, evidenced by tickets selling on the secondary market for as low as $7. But players on both teams are using the Browns’ winless record as motivation.

“When a team loses almost every game, it comes that question, who will be the team that they will beat,” Bills running back LeSean McCoy said. “You never want to be that team.”

Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III said, “Everyone’s trying to kick us when we’re down, so we just have to go take it. We’re going to get everybody’s best shot because nobody wants to lose to us.”

Griffin is also trying to prove that he is still a viable starting quarterback. He struggled last week in his first start since returning from a fractured shoulder in the season opener, posting a 38.4 passer rating in the 23-10 loss to Cincinnati.

But coach Hue Jackson is not yet ready to give up on Griffin.

“I am going to work through it and see where we are,” Jackson said. “That is the whole part of him playing, so we can evaluate where we are and have a good feel about it when the season is over. … Let’s go through this week and see where he is and see if he improved or not before we just write him off.”

As long as the Bills have even the slightest chance of making the playoffs, coach Rex Ryan won’t write off his quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, either.

Buffalo ranks last in the NFL in passing and management is reportedly ready to move on from Taylor after this season. The Bills have until March to decide whether to pick up the option on a contract signed before the season. Under terms of the deal, Taylor would be guaranteed more than $30 million in the next two seasons, or release the embattled quarterback and owe him nothing.

“The reason he’s our starting quarterback is, in my opinion, he gives us the best chance to win,” Ryan said. “And that’s what we signed up for. We’re trying to win these games.”

The Bills have lost two in a row and even if they run the table to finish 9-7 for just the third time this century, they are unlikely to overcome their 12th place standing in the AFC to claim a Wild Card spot.

“Until they officially announce us out or dead or whatever in the playoffs, we are going to try whatever it takes to win these games,” Ryan said. “We may have a one percent chance, or less than that, I don’t know, but we are still going for it.”

Once eliminated from the playoffs, Ryan may be more inclined to get backup quarterbacks E.J. Manuel and rookie Cardale Jones on the field.

Ryan will pick Buffalo’s starting quarterback for another week, at least, but his own job security is as tenuous as Taylor’s.

Bills players have even begun to speculate on what changes will be made once the Bills officially miss the playoffs for the 17th year in a row.

“Of course guys sit there and talk and wonder what the situation is going to be,” wide receiver Sammy Watkins said. “We know if we lose what the situation is going to be like. And for me, I’m trying to be here forever. I’m not trying to start over a whole team in free agency. So my job is to really go out there and sell out and try to win for myself, for my name, and for this team. If anybody else isn’t thinking that way, then that’s a problem.”

Watkins missed practice Wednesday due to lingering soreness in his surgically-repaired foot, but is expected to play. Defensive tackle Kyle Williams (back), left tackle Cordy Glenn (back), tight end Charles Clay (knee) and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander (rest) also did not practice.

Left tackle Joe Thomas (knee) did not practice for Cleveland, but is expcted to play. Wide receiver Ricardo Louis (thumb), defensive tackle Jamie Meder (thigh) and defensive back Jamar Taylor (groin) were limited.

Cleveland claimed rookie running back Darius Jackson off waivers from Dallas on Wednesday and released linebacker Corey Lemonier.

The post Cleveland vs. Buffalo Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Amid the firings, the hirings, the draft busts, the regime changes, the mistakes, the quarterback conundrum, the losses and, oh yes, Johnny Football, Thomas, a once-in-a-generation left tackle, has personified class and cornerstone consistency while the franchise that selected him with the third overall pick in 2007 has wandered aimlessly as an NFL laughingstock.

The man has seen it all. Everything, except a 0-16 season.

And that’s staring Thomas in the facemask.

But as the Browns (0-12), first-year coach Hue Jackson and his staff mercifully reached their bye week just four losses from infamy and shame, Thomas believes things aren’t as bad in Cleveland as they may look.

”I do see some progress even though, obviously, no wins this year is disappointing,” said Thomas, the eighth player to be selected to the Pro Bowl in his first nine seasons. ”But definitely the ship is headed in the right direction.”

The Titanic’s captain muttered the same thing before clipping the iceberg, but Thomas is convinced Cleveland will emerge from these dark days – the dimmest in the team’s 66-year-history, worse even than the 1999 expansion season – into a bright future.

It’s been another one of those years for the Browns, who have lost at least 10 games in eight of the past nine seasons.

It hasn’t helped that Cleveland’s roster, overhauled by a new front office that decided not to re-sign several free agent veterans in favor of stockpiling draft picks, has been shriveled further by key injuries.

Jackson was dealt a dreadful hand, but Thomas, who has never missed a snap as a pro and played on a damaged right knee this season, has been impressed by the way his sixth coach in 10 years has persevered.

”Hue has been exceptional,” Thomas said, noting Jackson’s ability to motivate, his football I.Q. and steadiness.

There are no signs Jackson’s job is in jeopardy. In fact, Jackson, who became emotional when describing the difficulty of this season following Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants, said he has assurances from owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam that he’s not in trouble.

The Haslams have already fired three coaches – Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski and Mike Pettine – since taking over the team in 2012.

”I have trust in the people who hired me,” said Jackson, adding he asked for guarantees before taking the job in January.

”I’m not distracted by what my fate will be because I never would have taken this job if I thought it was going to be anything other than me being here and seeing this through.

”Being 0-12 is hard on anybody. That’s hard, period. I don’t like to lose, and I don’t like being in this situation, but I know we are going to fix it.

”How we’re going to fix it is together. We have to do it brick by brick and step by step. I know we are in the midst of doing that.”

While his players get away, Jackson planned to work through the break, determined to get a victory over the final four weeks. He’ll have starting quarterback Robert Griffin back after the bye – he’s been out since Week 1 – and RG3’s return could infuse some life into an offense that has produced just 39 points in the past four games.

Only five teams have started 0-13 since the 1970 merger, and the Browns are desperately trying to avoid moving into the 0-16 basement as roommates with the 2008 Detroit Lions.

To Jackson’s credit, the Browns are still playing hard despite being outmanned.

Thomas said that fight-to-the-finish mentality is due to a belief among the players that the extensive building project, though unfinished, will not include any more demolition.

”Some of the years past when you’re sitting in this situation with a poor record, the coach is imminently going to get fired, all the players on the team are going to get cut and traded and released and there’s a bomb that’s going to get dropped on the organization,” said Thomas, who has had just one winning season in Cleveland.

”The optimism and positivity and the effort you still see out there on a daily basis is because everybody here knows we’re working for something down the line in the future and it’s not going to get destroyed at the end of the season.”

Thomas has been fooled before. The 2016 season reminds him of 2013, when coach Rob Chudzinski was let go after just one year following the finale at Pittsburgh.

”I thought `No way are they going to fire him. That would be idiotic,”’ he said. ”I couldn’t believe it. But we did, and that’s the way it was, I guess. That was the most shocked I’ve even been.”

Three years later, the Browns, who will face Cincinnati, Buffalo and San Diego the next three weeks, will finish up on the road against the Steelers again. Only this time Thomas feels the end of another demoralizing season represents a beginning.

”There’s a lot still for this team to play for in that regard because we do know these coaches are going to be here,” he said. ”A lot of these players are going to be here. So this is our opportunity to start building for next year.”

—

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

The post Browns crawl into bye 0-12, but Thomas sees positive steps appeared first on IdealCapper.

New York Giants vs. Cleveland Browns
When: 11/27/2016 1:00 PM
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Giants -7. O/U: 44
PREDICTION: Giants 33, Browns 13

Oddsmakers currently have the Giants listed as 7½-point favorites versus the Browns, while the game’s total is sitting at 44.

The season is getting real exciting for one team while the end of the line is on the horizon for another.

The New York Giants at 7-3 are looking for their sixth straight victory and are steaming full speed ahead for the postseason.

The 0-11 Cleveland ship is springing leaks and all the Browns can hope for is a life preserver to stay afloat until they can sail off into the sunset and their own postseason of preparing for next year.

When the Giants travel to Cleveland for a 1 p.m. ET Sunday kickoff, it will be the 49th time the two teams have met in the regular season. The Browns hold a 26-20-2 edge.

Las week, New York might have underestimated the Chicago Bears. But quarterback Eli Manning rescued the Giants by throwing two touchdown passes in the third quarter to rally his team over Chicago — another of the NFL’s bottom-dwellers.

Could the Giants have been looking ahead? Doubtful. And they won’t take the Browns lightly after the close call with Chicago.

The Browns lost 24-9 to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Quarterback Josh McCown took over for rookie Cody Kessler, who was knocked out of a game for the third time this season. McCown will start Sunday. On Wednesday, the Browns designated quarterback Robert Griffin III to return from injured reserve.

Griffin practiced Wednesday but has not been cleared to play. He was the starter in Game 1 but broke a bone in his left shoulder.

And for the first time, frustration in the Browns’ locker room boiled over with perhaps the team’s best two players speaking up.

Terrelle Pryor Sr., the former quarterback who has had a breakout season, called out the offensive line after Kessler and McCown were sacked eight times by the Steelers.

“Somebody’s got to say it so I will,” Pryor said. “I’m tired of our quarterbacks getting hit. This is (baloney). They can’t keep getting hit like that. … Whoever’s given up their blocks, they need to stop it.”

Left tackle and future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas also criticized the front office for letting center Alex Mack (Atlanta Falcons) and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz (Kansas City Chiefs) leave through free agency.

“Well, we lost a couple really good players, I think the best at their position,” Thomas said. “But that was our strategy in the offseason. That’s what we decided to do.

“You’ve got to lie in the bed that you’ve made, and I don’t make the decisions on who comes and goes. So that’s not something that I can concern myself with.”

Just another complication for Browns first-year coach Hue Jackson.

He said he wished his players wouldn’t voice frustrations to reporters, but in a roundabout said Pryor and Thomas, who has not missed a snap in his nine-year career, had earned some cache to speak out.

“They want to win,” Jackson said. “It’s all coming from a good place.

“These guys work extremely hard. They come in this building every day and they’re in here working their tails off with the expectation to go out and win and play well.”

While Jackson and the Browns are trying to figure out how to survive, New York counterpart Ben McAdoo is pushing all the right buttons in his first season, but he knows there’s work to be done.

“We haven’t accomplished anything yet,” McAdoo said. “The highs are high and the lows are low and you’re going have to put out three dumpster fires a day. Other than that, you need to focus on your preparation and get ready for the next opponent.”

McAdoo embraces away games and relishes time his squad can spend on the road.

“Anytime you get a chance to get on the road and bond and spend some time together, some quality time together that way, your team has a chance to grow and get closer,” he said.

And the Giants have done just that, especially the defense.

The Giants’ defense has eight picks and 14 sacks in their last eight game. Landon Collins is headed to the Pro Bowl (80 tackles, three sacks and five interceptions) and defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon are playing at a high level.

Pierre-Paul did show up on Wednesday’s injury report with swelling in a knee, which kept him on the sideline.

And for the first time in two years, the Giants compiled back-to-back 100-yard rushing games the past two weeks.

Manning will be licking his chops as he goes against a defense that is 31st in yards (409.5), 22nd against the pass (265.5), 31st against the run (143.9) and 31st in points allowed (29.5).

The Browns rank next to last in sacks with 16.

Manning got a dose of good news on Wednesday when guard Justin Pugh, who has missed the past two games with a knee injury, returned to practice. Even though his status for Sunday’s game still is in limbo, there were reports Pugh was “very active in drills.”

Yet Manning is not taking the Browns’ defense lightly, pointing to cornerback Joe Haden, who is one of the best at his position.

He’s got great ball skills. When the ball’s in the air, he does a great job finding it and catching it,” Manning said.

Haden will have his hands full, though, as he most likely will line up opposite of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was dealing with a jammed finger. After a slow start, Beckham has compiled 819 yards on 59 receptions and scored six touchdowns.

The Browns’ other starting corner, Tramon Williams, was limited in practice with a knee injury that sidelined him last week

These teams have at least one thing in common –neither has scored 30 points this season.

Weather is not expected to be an issue with temperature along Lake Erie in the 50s. But if Mother Nature does rear her head, Manning will be prepared.

“I think you just have to go with the game plan,” he said Wednesday. “We’re not going to be able to do everything. Just try and have answers for all their defenses. If we get to Sunday and it is bad conditions, you just deal with it from there.”

One of the things the Browns must deal with on their journey to possible infamy is keeping the fan base and staying the course. They have a boatload of draft picks and Jackson is committed.

“I truly believe I’m just the man for the job,” he said. “That has not shown, and I respect that and I understand how our fans and all feel, but I’m not running from this. I’m going to run through it, and I’m going to deal with it head on. We are going to fix this.”

But how bad is it in Cleveland? The cost of a ticket for the game is about the same as two Happy Meals. That’s pretty sad considering the Browns once proud franchise.

The post New York vs. Cleveland Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Cleveland at Tennessee
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 16, 2016
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
Oddsmakers currently have the Titans listed as 5½-point favorites versus the Browns, while the game’s total is sitting at 45½.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was generally understood before the season started that the Cleveland Browns would be one of the NFL’s worst teams. Then the injuries began, and haven’t ended yet.

In losing its first five games, Cleveland played five quarterbacks. Opening-game starter Robert Griffin III (shoulder) is out for the year, second-game starter Josh McCown (shoulder) just resumed practicing this week, third-stringer Cody Kessler (chest/ribs) was knocked out last week and waiver-wire pickup Charlie Whitehurst (knee) was released with an injury settlement Tuesday after limping off the field near the end of last week’s 33-13 loss to New England.

Converted quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who has actually played quite well at wide receiver, finished last week’s defeat under center. To replace Whitehurst, the Browns promoted rookie Kevin Hogan from the practice squad.

Adding left guard Joel Bitonio (mid-foot) to the infirmary for Sunday’s game at the Tennessee Titans further weakens an offensive line that doesn’t need weakening.

“You obviously don’t want any injuries,” left tackle Joe Thomas said, “but you understand they are part of the game. That is why it is important to build your depth on any team. In the NFL, it is not a matter of if injuries are going to happen, it is a matter of when.”

Bitonio’s injury seems particularly ill-timed considering Tennessee (2-3) demonstrated last week in a 30-17 victory at Miami that it can get after the quarterback. Working over a Dolphins offensive line that started two backups, the Titans bagged six sacks of Ryan Tannehill.

With Brian Orakpo, Derrick Morgan and Jurrell Casey coming off two-sack games each, it would seem like Tennessee has a real chance to terrorize whoever takes snaps for Cleveland.

“We are not going to put together an entirely different scheme together based on the injury to (Bitonio),” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. “We have got a set scheme. We are going to attack. Dick LeBeau does a good job attacking where he thinks weaknesses are, and we will go from there.”

Until last week, LeBeau could have had a grand old time attacking his own team’s offense. Tennessee was averaging just 15.5 points before its victory in Miami, which saw DeMarco Murray rush for 121 yards on 27 carries and Marcus Mariota threw for three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth.

Of course, that was on the road and the Titans’ next three games are in Nissan Stadium. Most teams are better at home, but Tennessee isn’t most teams, as it has painfully proved over and over. Since the 2014 season’s beginning, the Titans have lost 16 of 18 at home, with both wins coming against Jacksonville.

“I don’t think consistency has been something we’ve done around here,” Mariota said. “If we’re able to do that and build one good game after another, we’ll like the direction we’re going in.”

Like his team, Mariota has struggled at home, turning the ball over three times in a 17-10 loss to Oakland on Sept. 25. But he has shown glimpses of his considerable potential with four four-touchdown games in his first 17 starts, matched only by Charlie Conerly of the 1948-49 New York Giants.

Mularkey was happy with Mariota’s decision-making at Miami.

“He really took what the defense gave us and that is what we’re looking for,” Mularkey said. “We didn’t make any crucial mistakes, which we had made in earlier games while he was trying to make more happen.”

Regardless of whether McCown or Kessler gets the call at quarterback for the Browns, they figure to base their offense around running back Isaiah Crowell. Despite being held to 22 yards last week as New England stacked the line of scrimmage, Crowell is fifth in the NFL with 416 yards through five games.

Crowell, Pryor (24 catches, 338 yards) and versatile backup running back Duke Johnson give Cleveland some nice weapons offensively. But a revolving door at quarterback and the lack of depth on the offensive line has hampered first-year coach Hue Jackson’s efforts to build a dangerous attack.

“I know it is frustrating for the fans,” Pryor said. “It is frustrating for us. It is probably frustrating for some of you guys that are Cleveland Browns fans and reporters, as well.

“This is the time we have to stick together and keep fighting. If we don’t quit, good things are going to come out.”

Cleveland:
Team record: 0-5 SU,1-4 ATS
Current Streak: lost 5 straight games.
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland’s last 10 games

Tennessee:
Team record: 2-3 SU,2-3 ATS
Tennessee is 2-10-1 ATS in its last 13 games
Tennessee is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tennessee’s last 8 games

The post NFL Matchup: CLEVELAND vs. TENNESSEE Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

The post Cleveland vs. Baltimore appeared first on IdealCapper.

Tennessee at Cleveland
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 20, 2015
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Titans -1. O/U: 41.5.
PREDICTION: Browns 23, Titans 21
Join BetOnline and get up to $1,000 BONUS

Oddsmakers currently have the Browns listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Titans, while the game’s total is sitting at 41½.

After taking a 7-0 lead, Cleveland fell flat on its face in its opener, turning the ball over five times to lose its 11th straight season opener. Manziel was 13-for-24 passing with a touchdown but was picked off once and lost two fumbles as he again looked uncomfortable against the blitzing Jets’ defense. Wide receiver Travis Benjamin was a bright light, grabbing three passes for 89 yards and a 54-yard score. He’ll most likely be the top target again this week as counterpart Dwayne Bowe (hamstring) is still questionable.

In their last action, Cleveland was a 31-10 loser on the road against the Jets. They failed to cover the +3.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (41) was profitable news for OVER bettors.

Team record: 0-1 SU,0-1 ATS
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Cleveland’s last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland’s last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tennessee

The Titans finished last season with a 10-game losing streak, a skid that included a loss to the Browns where they blew a 25-point lead at home in a 29-28 setback. Tennessee raced out to a 35-7 halftime bulge last week as Mariota threw scoring passes to four different receivers, including Kendall Wright, who caught four passes for 101 yards. The Titans took their foot off the gas after that and got 74 yards rushing and a score from Bishop Sankey but they could be without star tight end Delanie Walker, who scored a touchdown last week but is questionable with a wrist injury.

Tennessee was a 42-14 winner in its last match on the road against the Buccaneers. They covered the +3-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 56 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 1-0 SU,1-0 ATS
Tennessee is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Tennessee is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tennessee’s last 5 games
Tennessee is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road

The post Tennessee vs. Cleveland Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

Teams with a 3-1 lead are 32-0 in the finals, according to information provided to the league by Elias. So the Warriors don’t have to be reminded of the importance of Game 4 against Cleveland on Thursday night.

”I think we all know it’s really urgent,” guard Klay Thompson said. ”No one wants to go down 3-1.”

LeBron James has scored 40 or more in two of the three games while playing more than 47 minutes per game for an undermanned team. He appeared exhausted Wednesday, though that will be worth it if he can deliver the Cavaliers their first NBA title.

”You just try to give everything that you have to your teammates and live with the results,” James said. ”For me, I just try to put it all on the line to a point where win, lose or draw, you’re satisfied with the outcome.”

Here are things to watch in Game 4:

SHIFTING STRATEGY?: The Warriors haven’t done much double-teaming of James, but coach Steve Kerr acknowledged they may have to change their tactics with the way he is scoring.

”As far as our coverage on LeBron, yeah, you have to evaluate everything,” Kerr said. ”You have to look at your options. You have to think about if you take something away, what you’re giving up, that kind of stuff.

”We’ve lost two games in a row in the series, so we have to look at everything. It may mean we change some things. It may not.”

NEED FOR SPEED: Golden State is averaging just 11.7 fast-break points in the finals, after averaging more than 20 in every other playoff series. The Warriors’ starters had none in Game 4, as Cleveland has played a deliberate pace on offense and gotten back quickly on transition defense.

”Yeah, if you look at it, our defense has pretty much done its job. It’s just offensively for some reason we haven’t, even when we get stops and rebounds, we haven’t been successful getting a ton of fast-break points,” Warriors forward David Lee said.

”We’ve been in this same position down 2-1 at Memphis against a great veteran team in Memphis that attempted to do the same thing Cleveland is doing. That’s slow the game down, grind it out, and play to their strengths. That’s exactly what Cleveland’s trying to do. I have faith that we’re going to come out and play the right way tomorrow and then this series is right back to square one.”

WHAT’S THE SECRET? James has a secret, and not even one of his best friends in the NBA could get him to make it public.

Besides wanting to win another championship, James said earlier in the series he had another motivation he wouldn’t reveal. Not even to Dwyane Wade, who was working the Game 3 postgame show for ESPN and interviewed his former teammate.

”And he tried to get the secret motivation out of me, and I didn’t give it to him either, even though I told him (privately),” James said. ”But he won’t tell you guys, though. He won’t tell you all until hopefully after this is all over.”

DELLY’S DUTIES: Matthew Dellavedova is expected to be ready to go after needing treatment for cramping and dehydration following Game 3. He played more than 38 minutes in that one and Cavaliers coach David Blatt said the team would keep an eye on him.

”But he’ll be out there and we’ll just monitor how he’s doing,” Blatt said. ”I’m not going to come in there with a specific minute restriction, but we’ll definitely be conscious of it.”

GREEN’S GUESS: Draymond Green, expected to play after getting treatment for back spasms, was asked what to expect from the Warriors at the start of Game 4.

”Just a more spirited team. More intensity,” he said. ”I’m not saying that, hey, we’re going to come out and make every shot. Who knows? Shots may fall, they may not. But I’m willing to bet if our intensity level is higher, the shots go in.”

—

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

The post Down 2-1 to Cavs, Warriors face ‘urgent’ NBA Finals Game 4 appeared first on IdealCapper.