- Cleveland Browns won six of their previous seven games
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ points total went under in their last six road games
The Cleveland Browns (3-7) play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5) on Sunday, 27 at 18:00 at FirstEnergy Stadium. A tally of three wins from ten games leaves the Cleveland Browns with a divisional ranking of third in the AFC North, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are first in the NFC South after collecting five victories out of a possible ten. It’s now getting toward that time of the year when every match counts. For the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a victory here could prove to be a game-changer in their respective campaigns.
Cleveland Browns Form
A 31-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills last time out extended the Cleveland Browns’ miserable run of form in the league, leaving the hosts with six defeats in seven games.
The offense has performed to its usual standards of late, putting up 21.4 points in the last five matches, which is on par with the 24.0 points average the Cleveland Browns have achieved for this season. On the other side of the ball, the hosts have continued to struggle in defense. In the same number of games, they’ve surrendered 28.8 points and rank 29th in the league for points allowed, having given up 26.9 points this year alone.
In 2021, the Cleveland Browns went 8-9 to end up third in the AFC North and out of playoff contention. They hoped to make a return to the NFL postseason this year, but it looks like fans will have to wait a little longer as the hosts are only 3-7 this season so far.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Form
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers return from a bye hoping to improve on a 5-5 for the season, with their latest match against the Seattle Seahawks ending in a 21-16 victory.
Things haven’t improved on the offense front for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at all, having put just 16.0 points on board across the last five matches. In all, the offense has averaged 18.3 points for the season. On the defensive side of the ball, there has been no letup whatsoever. The visitors boast one of the stingiest defenses in the entire country, allowing just 18.0 points per game for this season, and have remained formidable in the past five games, having only given up 19.4 points on average.
As the reigning NFC South champions, a successful title defense is a priority for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right now. By doing so, they’ll seal a playoff spot and a more favorable tie at home.
Cleveland Browns vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers H2H
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers bagged a 13-12 win over the Cleveland Browns in the previous matchup between these two franchises. The encounter took place at the Raymond James Stadium in August 2019. The Cleveland Browns have claimed just two wins from their past five matchups against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving them with an overall record of 2-3.
The Cleveland Browns tallied 16.88 points on average per game from their eight most recent head-to-head games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The latter managed an average of 17.63 points in comparison.
Standings
Heading into Week 12 of the regular season, the Cleveland Browns occupy third in the AFC North standings. They are 3-7 this season and 2-3 at home, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are top of the NFC South, having gone 2-2 on the road and 5-5 overall.
Betting
Moneyline
Take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-161) to win outright on the moneyline. The visitors return from a bye this week, hoping to extend a two-match winning streak, and seeing how the Cleveland Browns are in poor form at the moment, backing a road win seems the way to go.
Against the Spread
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-113) open up as the 3.0-point favorites over the Cleveland Browns, according to the oddsmakers. This suggests a road win is possible, but it won’t be by much. In the last eight matchups in this series, the average points margin between these two sides was 9.0 points.
It’s been nip and tuck as far as the Cleveland Browns’ recent home record against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is concerned. Both teams have a 50% win rate from their past two matchups at the FirstEnergy Stadium, with an average points margin of 10.0 points between them. The hosts are also 4-3 ATS in the past seven games at home and 5-5 ATS overall from their previous ten games.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have only covered the spread in 33.3% of their 10 games this season. The visitors are 2-4 ATS from their six most recent road trips, as well as 3-6 ATS in their last ten games overall.
Over/Under
The points total in matches between the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tends to sway to the lower side, as they have averaged 34.51 points in their last eight meetings.
The average total in the last five encounters between the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was 35.4 points. As the total for their latest showdown is set at 44.5, taking the Under (-109) might just be worth its weight in gold.
The total has averaged 50.9 points in the Cleveland Browns’ ten most recent games, as well as 52.6 points in their last five at home. Interestedly, the Cleveland Browns have seen the total go over in each of their last nine matchups.
As for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the average total has been 36.3 points in the away team’s past ten matches and 30.2 points in the last five on the road. The under market has paid out as the winning bet in each of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ last nine games.
