Browns vs. Bengals odds: Vegas Vic’s pick for tonight’s Heisman-winner showdown

If you see a line of Bengals plus-6, grab Cincy and rookie QB Joe Burrow.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will play his first game in prime time when Cincinnati faces the rival Browns on Thursday night in Cleveland.Read moreBryan Woolston / AP

Published Sep. 17, 2020, 10:10 a.m. ET

Inquirer handicapper Vegas Vic offers his thoughts on tonight’s Cincinnati at Cleveland game:

Browns -5.5 BENGALS (43.5)

LAS VEGAS — Welcome to Heisman Thursday, with two of the last three winners stepping on the field. Baker Mayfield from 2017 and Joe Burrow last season.

Neither guy was Heisman-like in Week 1, with the Baker hitting 21 of 39 passes for 189 yards and 1 INT, and Burreaux going 23-for-36 for 193 yards and 1 INT. Joe B. looked just like the LSU version in the final drive against the Chargers, completing 8 of 11 passes to set up a 31-yard chip shot to tie the game. Sadly, Randy Bullock came up lame and wide to the right. OUCH!

If you’re interested in last season’s scores, the Browns (-6.5) beat the Bengals in Cleveland, 27-19, and went Over 43.5 points. In the finale, it was Cincy (-2.5) at home posting a 33-23 win, with the total going way Over 44.

It’s only Week 2, but the Cleveland secondary is already kinda decimated. CBs Robert Jackson, Kevin Johnson and Greedy Williams are listed as questionable, while rookie safety Grant Delpit is gone for the season. Baltimore’s sensational Lamar Jackson hit 20 of 25 passes last weekend against the Brownies, and while the “Tiger King,” or “Joe Exotic,” ain’t gonna get mentioned in the same sentence as Jackson, yet, his accuracy is a fact, jack.

If you gimme 6 points with Burrow, I’m gonna be picking up the phone, hitting my sportsbook app, and adding Cincy to my bet slip.

Staff picks:

Ed Barkowitz: Bengals

Les Bowen: Bengals

Paul Domowitch: Bengals

Marcus Hayes: Browns

Jeff McLane: Browns

EJ Smith: Bengals

Vegas Vic: Bengals