Previews and betting tips for the 2024 NFL season - Browns and Steelers

The 2024 NFL season kicks off with a Thursday/Friday doubleheader starting Sept. 5 with the full Week 1 Sunday schedule Sept. 8. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 46.5) host the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5 in an AFC playoff rematch with those two teams the AFC favorites to reach Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans. The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to break through in the AFC North with the Ravens and Bengals favored as division champs in 2024. The season preview for the Browns and Steelers is provided below along with player props, schedules and odds. 

NFL Week 1 Matchups And Odds 

But as training camp continues and football and fantasy fans get the juices flowing ahead of the 2024 NFL season, sports bettors are pouring through the teams schedules, rosters, stats, odds, futures and props and making bets at leading online sportsbooks. That includes on the AFC teams. 

AFC West - Chiefs and Chargers
AFC West - Raiders and Broncos 
AFC East - Bills and Jets
AFC East - Dolphins and Patriots
AFC North - Ravens and Bengals
AFC South - Texans and Jaguars
AFC South - Titans and Colts 

NFL Scoring

Last season the NFL average scoring per game was 43.5 points, down from 43.8 in 2022 and 46.0 points per game in 2021. The record scoring of 49.6 points per game in 2020 seems gone, but new NFL kickoff rules will appear to improve starting field position by 2-5 yards with scoring expected to increase by at least 1.5 points per game. 

Football odds from BookMaker and BetOnline plus other top online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. 

Cleveland Browns

Season Win Total: 8.5 (Over -147) Bet Over
Division Odds: +500 / AFC Odds: +2200 / Super Bowl Odds: +4000
Record Last 2 Years: 11-6, 7-10
Head Coach: Kevin Stefanski (5th season) 

Browns Schedule, Odds and Props 

Division games and advance point spreads (DraftKings) 

Week 7 Cincinnati Bengals (CLE +1 / 46.5) 
Week 8 Baltimore Ravens (CLE +1 / 45.5) 
Week 12 Pittsburgh Steelers (CLE -3 / 43.5) Thurs
Week 14 at Pittsburgh Steelers (CLE +1 /43.5)  
Week 16 at Cincinnati Bengals (CLE +3.5 / 45.5) Thurs
Week 18 at Baltimore Ravens (CLE +4.5 / 44.5) 

Other Key Games
Week 1 Dallas Cowboys(CLE -2 / 44) 
Week 2 at Jacksonville Jaguars (CLE +1 / 45) 
Week 4 at Las Vegas Raiders (CLE -2.5 / 43.5) 
Week 6 at Philadelphia Eagles (CLE +3 / 45.5) 
Week 9 Los Angeles Chargers (CLE -3 / 43.5) 
Week 13 Denver Browncos (CLE -3.5 / 43.5) MNF
Week 15 Kansas City Chiefs (CLE +3 / 46.5)
Week 17 Miami Dolphins (CLE -2 / 44.5) SNF 

Bye: Week 10 

Home: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Kansas City, LA Chargers, NY Giants, Miami
Away: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Washington, Jacksonville, New Orleans 

Key Player Props (regular season at BetOnline) 

QB Deshaun Watson - O/U 3,200.5 Passing Yards / 19.5 Pass TD's / 9.5 INT
WR Amari Cooper - O/U 950.5 Rec Yards / 70.5 Receptions / 5.5 Rec TD's
WR Jerry Juedy - O/U 700 Receiving Yards / 57.5 Receptions / 3.5 Rec TD's
TE David Njoku - O/U 700.5 Rec Yards / 67.5 Receptions / 4.5 Rec TD's 
DE Miles Garrett - O/U 13.5 Sacks 

Stats and Notes (check back ahead of season for more betting notes). Handicapping and research includes sources and stats from beat writers, team sites and press notes, bettors and newsletters or betting guides like VSiN, Sharp Football, Playbook, CleveAnalytics, ESPN Stats & Info and more including FairwayJay's proprietary data base and stats. 

The Browns face one of the most difficult schedules in 2024 with 12 games against teams that had winning records in 2023. That includes five home games against playoff teams last season. Overpaid/rated Quarterback DeShawn Watson returns following injury and six starts last season, and works under new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who had much success with the Bills. The Browns started five different QB's last season including signing Joe Flacco off his couch, and he propelled them to the playoffs for the second time in four season and third double-digit win season since 1994. The overall roster stacks up well and a dominant defensive front led by Defensive POY Myles Garrett, who was instrumental in the Browns No. 1 ranking in yards per play, EPA/play and total yards allowed, and top-5 in takeaways. Running back Nick Chubb returns following a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 last season, but won't be ready to start the season, and WR Jerry Juedy comes over from Denver to fill the No. 2 WR spot. With better health and PFF's No. 4 ranked offensive line (No. 1 last year to start the season), the Browns should improve significantly from last year's 28th-ranked offense by EPA/play. Sharp Football ranks the Browns roster best in the AFC and third overall in the NFL. Stefanski won his second coach of the year award last season. But will bonehead Bro QB Watson finally deliver on the ridiculous price the Browns paid to acquire his talent and overcome his off-field and injury issues? Despite a difficult schedule, anything less than .500 or the playoffs is a failure in 2024. 

Pro Football Focus Offensive Line Rankings Entering 2024 Season (Browns No. 4, Steelers No. 9)

Betting: The Browns are just 2-7 ATS the last nine road games at Cincinnati (Week 16). Prior to that, the Browns have a Monday Night road game at Denver in Week 13 followed by a short week road game at Pittsburgh in Week 14. Teams in this spot are just 44% ATS since 2000 including 40% the second half of the season. The Browns were 5-0 in games decided by 3-points or less last season. Look at their key games above and you'll see 11 games lined at 3-points or less, and two more at 3.5 on pre-season spreads. Those betting lines changes during the season based on production, results and QB play and/or injuries, of which the Browns had many last season. 

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Pittsburgh Steelers

Season Win Total: 8.5 (Under -140) - Bet Under
Division Odds: +600 / AFC Odds: +2500 / Super Bowl Odds: +5000
Record Last 2 Years: 10-7, 9-8
Head Coach: Mike Tomlin (18th year) 

Steelers Schedule, Odds and Props  

Division games 

Week 11 Baltimore Ravens (PIT +3 / 43)
Week 12 at Cleveland Browns (PIT +3 / 43.5) Thurs
Week 13 at Cincinnati Bengals (PIT / 46) 
Week 14 Cleveland Browns (PIT -1 / 43.5)
Week 16 at Baltimore Ravens (PIT +6 / 42.5) Sat
Week 18 Cincinnati Bengals (PIT +1 / 43.5) 

Other Key Games
Week 5 Dallas Cowboys (PIT +1.5 / 43) SNF
Week 6 at Las Vegas Raiders (PIT -1 / 42)
Week 7 at New York Jets (PIT +1 / 43) SNF
Week 15 at Philadelphia Eagles (PIT +4.5 / 45)
Week 17 Kansas City Chiefs (PIT +4 / 42.5) Wed, Dec. 25

Bye: Week 9

Home: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, LA Chargers, NY Giants, NY Jets
Away: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Washington, Indianapolis, Atlanta 

Key Player Props (regular season at BetOnline) 

RB Jaylen Warren - O/U 600.5 Rushing Yards / 4.5 Rushing TD's / 325.5 Rec Yards / 50.5 Receptions 
RB Najee Harris - O/U 800.5 Rushing Yards / 6.5 Rushing TD's
WR George Pickens - O/U 975.5 Rec Yards / 65.5 Receptions / 4.5 Rec TD's
TE Pat Freiermuth - O/U 500.5 Rec Yards / 50.5 Receptions / 3.5 Rec TD's 
LB A. Highsmith - O/U 7.5 Sacks, LB P. Queen O/U 125.5 Tackles & Assists

Stats and Notes

The Steelers won their final three games last season to avoid their first losing season under 18th year head coachg Mike Tomlin. They were a quick out in the playoffs and mostly a fraud, as the Steelers were outgained in each of their first 10 games in 2023, and finished 9-2 in one score games and are on an incredible 31-11 (74%) run in close games in the last four seasons. Poor play calling and pathetic production for Pittsburgh, and now the Steelers move on from QB Kenny Pickett (Eagles) to a pair of QB's trying to regain their footing in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Good luck. Those two QB's ranked 1-2 in percentage of pass attempts that were thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage last season, and No. 2-3 in percentage of deep targets. Fortunately, Pittsburgh has stability and strength along the offensive line and the Steelers OL is the only unit in the NFL that has started every game over the past two seasons. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will utilize a run-heavy approach, and could turn to younger and more mobile QB Justin Fields sooner than expected if the offense isn't efficiency early in the season. No excuses for QB Wilson and the offense facing the Falcons, Broncos and Colts in the first four games, although all three on the road and the 5-win Chargers at home. A rare schedule situation doesn't have the Steelers playing a division game until Week 11, and Pittsburgh's brutal late season schedule includes the six division games plus a road game at Philadelphia and home game against Kansas City. That's the toughest eight-game stretch and includes 3 games in 11 days starting in Week 15. Despite a consistent and solid defense that was No. 7 in EPA and has the league's sack leader in TJ Watt, the Steelers are going to have a losing season for the first time under HC Tomlin - you can bet on it. 

Betting Since 2000, there have been 15 other teams that have won at least 82% of their close games in a season and only one team (2020 Seahawks) improved their win total the next season. Two teams’ win totals stayed the same and 12 won fewer games the next season. On average, these teams have won close to three games fewer the next season and just last season we saw the Vikings win six less and the Eagles three less games. Ideally, the Steelers have some early-season success with a softer schedule, but that would set up plenty of bet against opportunities, including adjusted win totals. 

You can bet on it. 

FairwayJay is a proven sports handicapper with unparalleled success in NFL pointspread prognosis. He's posted 57% ATS winners at OSGA on his NFL Underdog side selections since 2016. Fairway is recognized as one of the sports industry's insightful analysts, and he chips in additional sports betting coverage and reporting on industry news and events. Follow FairwayJay here at OSGA.com and on X @FairwayJay for more sports betting insights.