NFL Picks Week 9, and media picks for Browns vs. Bengals

The DBN staff predicts the Week 9 games, plus the national and media makes their predictions for Browns vs. Bengals.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Browns are 2.5-point underdogs against the Bengals on Sunday. Here is what the national media is saying about the Week 9 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns:

CBS Sports (Pete Prisco) – Bengals 30, Browns 24

The battle of Ohio is a big one for both teams. The Bengals lost to the Jets last week, but the Browns are in last place in the division. They can’t afford to fall further behind in the division. Look for the Bengals to bounce back behind a big day from Joe Burrow.

Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer) – Bengals 24, Browns 20

The Battle of Ohio can always have wild and wacky results. This comes down to the fact Cleveland’s No. 1 overall pick QB Baker Mayfield isn’t right and Cincinnati’s No. 1 overall pick QB Joe Burrow is already one of the league’s best. Look for the Bengals’ defense to rebound from the Jets’ mess to take advantage of a sputtering Browns’ offense. On the flip side, the state of Browns’ pass defense isn’t good enough to slow down Burrow and his red-hot trio of wide receivers.

NFL.com (Marc Sessler) – No Pick Made

The Browns announced to the world on Sunday: Don’t trust us. The suddenly sexy Bengals imploded against the Jets. Cleveland’s ugly loss to Pittsburgh was the product of ills that have plagued the Browns all season: Too many mistakes and a knack for falling apart late. The Bengals, meanwhile, blew the 11-point lead they held midway through the fourth quarter and allowed newbie starter Mike White to become the first Jets passer to throw for 400-plus yards since Vinny Testaverde in Y2K. Cleveland’s 4-4 record paints an accurate portrait, but coach Kevin Stefanski has lost back-to-back games just once since being hired in 2020. Losing right tackle Jack Conklin (dislocated elbow) is no treat against Cincy’s seventh-ranked rushing defense, but Nick Chubb zapped the Bengals for 124 yards and two scores a year ago. Joe Burrow operates as a revelation, but his five interceptions in the fourth quarter — including a killer pick against Gang Green — are tied for the most in the NFL. I’d expect a bounce-back game from sensational Bengals rookie Ja’Marr Chase. Browns games — let’s be real — aren’t about OBJ. This is a hot-and-cold team looking to pound foes on the ground with just enough from Baker Mayfield. With their season on the line in a fierce AFC North, I expect the Browns to cover — to win outright — in an unfriendly back-alley slugfest between two Ohio hopefuls.

Below are our Week 9 NFL staff picks: