NFL Sunday Week 4: Browns vs. Vikings Prediction

Nothing gets fans going more than a high-powered offense. The Cleveland Browns head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings in an interconference matchup. Let's dive into a Browns spread vs. a Vikings pick and determine the best bet for this matchup.

Fireworks: Browns vs. Vikings Prediction

The only way to compete from week to week in the modern NFL is to unleash a high-powered offense. Both the Browns and Vikings are juggernauts when it comes to offensive production. Cleveland and Minnesota both rank in the top 10 in both points and yards per game.

Looking on the other side of the ball, one team ranks in the top three at minimizing opponent yards per game while the other is bottom five at stopping opposing teams. Which high-powered offense will thrive, and will one of them flounder against the dominant defense?

Here We Go, Brownies

No team received more offseason hype than the Cleveland Browns. On offense, we know what they have. They feature a dual-headed running attack with two of the best running backs in the NFL in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. If you attempt to slow the run game down, they will beat you over the top with quarterback Baker Mayfield and his plethora of weapons. 

Cleveland is an unstoppable offense when you look at what they bring to the table. As expected, they rank seventh overall in total yards per game and second in rush yards per game. They also have the most rushing touchdowns in the league, with 8 on the year. 

I wonder if the Vikings are good at stopping the run. They're not. Minnesota is allowing 4.8 yards per carry, which puts them in the bottom five in the league.

The Browns improved significantly on defense by getting injured players back and addressing their holes in the offseason. They are currently allowing the third-fewest yards per game (248.7). However, two of their three opponents were the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears. 

Let's hold off on calling this defense elite just yet. The Browns gave up 397 total yards in Week 1 to the Kansas City Chiefs, including 324 yards through the air. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has been lighting up the scoreboard early this season and could continue to do so against this vaunted Cleveland defense.

Here Comes That Bad Man

Kirk Cousins is taking the league by storm right now. He has 8 touchdowns with 0 interceptions and has a 118.3-quarterback rating. He is one of the main reasons this offense ranks third overall in total yards per game and top seven in the aerial attack.

The Minnesota running attack is no pushover either. They have the sixth-best rushing attack at 128.0 yards per game. However, the Vikings do tend to rely on the pass when it comes to scoring, as they have 8 passing touchdowns but only 1 rushing touchdown. 

This balanced attack will be the deadliest one the Browns have faced since the Chiefs in Week 1 and should present plenty of headaches for Cleveland. Will the Browns be able to continue their defensive dominance? Or will this game turn into a shootout?

Browns vs Vikings Prediction & Pick

I believe this is a straightforward matchup where the offenses dominate this game. It should be a back-and-forth flurry of points until the team with the ball last ends the game. Both teams should put up 27-plus points each, making this an easy play on the total.

Take over 51 points and expect a final score somewhere in the range of 30-27 for each team.