Baltimore Ravens vs Cleveland Browns Picks and Predictions for Sunday October 18 2026
Baltimore and Cleveland are getting ready to meet on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The game is set for 1:00 PM ET, with FOX handling the television coverage. The Ravens are coming in after a 30-23 overtime win against Atlanta, while the Browns are trying to forget about their 17-12 loss to the Jets. The last time these teams met was back in November of 2025, when Baltimore came away with a 23-16 win in Cleveland. The Ravens are favored by 4.5 points at FanDuel, with the Browns sitting at +4.5 and -110. The total is set at 41.5, with the under priced at -120. Weather could play a part in Cleveland, especially if the wind gets going off Lake Erie. I’m more interested in Baltimore’s quarterback situation, though. Lamar Jackson is dealing with an ankle injury, and Cleveland has a quarterback who was sacked eight times last Sunday. Neither team is coming into this game without a few headaches. Make sure you’re ready for the rest of the NFL action with our free NFL picks.
Baltimore Ravens Look To Stay On Top In The AFC North
The Ravens are sitting at 4-1 overall and have won all three of their road games this season. Baltimore has picked up three wins in a row, with the latest being a 30-23 overtime victory against Atlanta. That game had quite a finish. Tyler Huntley found Devontez Walker for a touchdown with 40 seconds left, and Derrick Henry added the two-point conversion to tie the game. Huntley ended up running in the winning touchdown during overtime. Not too bad for a team playing without Lamar Jackson. Baltimore also beat Tennessee 24-18 the week before and picked up a 34-31 victory over Dallas earlier in the season. The only loss came against New Orleans. I’ve liked how the Ravens have been able to find ways to win, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been playing perfect football. The defense has let opponents stay in games longer than it probably should. Cleveland will be hoping for more of that on Sunday.
Baltimore has put up 146 points in five games, which comes out to 29.2 per contest. The offense has gained 1,971 net yards on the year, and the rushing attack has been doing plenty of the work. The Ravens have rushed for 822 yards, averaging 164.4 per game. That’s quite a bit of ground to cover for a Cleveland defense that will already have its hands full with Henry. Baltimore hasn’t been too bad throwing the football either, but the running game is what I’d expect to see a lot of Sunday. Why get away from something that’s working? The defense is another story. Baltimore has given up 119 points, or 23.8 per game. That’s more than Cleveland has been allowing, which surprised me a little considering the difference in the two teams’ records. Atlanta moved the ball against Baltimore last week, and Dallas scored 31 earlier in the season. The Ravens have been winning games, but their defense hasn’t made it easy every time.
Derrick Henry has been putting up some good numbers for Baltimore. He’s carried the ball for 476 yards and seven touchdowns through five games, including 102 yards against Atlanta. Zay Flowers has also been a big part of the offense with 405 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 26 catches. Lamar Jackson has thrown for 967 yards with six touchdowns and only one interception, but his ankle injury kept him out against Atlanta. Huntley stepped in and completed 24 of 32 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He also had the winning run in overtime. I thought Huntley handled himself pretty well, although I’d still rather have Jackson running the offense against a division rival. Baltimore is also keeping an eye on Trey Hendrickson after finger surgery, while Flowers has been dealing with a foot issue. The Ravens have enough talent to compete with Huntley under center. Still, having Jackson available would take some pressure off the running game.
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Cleveland Browns Have Plenty To Fix After Jets Loss
Cleveland is coming into Sunday with a 3-2 record and has won both games played at home. The Browns had been on a three-game winning streak before the Jets came along and beat them 17-12 last weekend. That was a frustrating game to watch from Cleveland’s side. The offense had trouble moving the football, and Deshaun Watson spent way too much time getting knocked down. Eight sacks. That’s going to make winning difficult no matter who you’re playing. The Browns had beaten Pittsburgh 27-24 the week before and also picked up wins against Carolina and Tampa Bay. Todd Monken has gotten Cleveland off to a decent start, and I think the team has played better than some expected. But the Jets game brought back a few familiar concerns. The offensive line is at the top of that list. Baltimore is coming to town with a much better offense than New York, and Cleveland can’t afford another game where Watson barely has time to make a throw.
Cleveland has scored 93 points in five games. That’s an average of only 18.6, which isn’t going to win many scoring contests against a team putting up more than 29 per game. The Browns have picked up 1,368 net offensive yards, averaging 273.6 per contest. Their running game has managed 471 yards, or 94.2 per game. I’d like those numbers a lot better if Cleveland were facing a team that couldn’t run the football itself. Baltimore can, and that’s a problem. The Ravens can keep handing the ball to Henry while Cleveland has been struggling to get much going with its own backs. On defense, the Browns have allowed 112 points, giving up 22.4 per game. That’s actually a little better than Baltimore. Cleveland held the Jets to 17 points last week and still lost. I don’t think the Browns defense is the problem here. The offense has to stay on the field long enough to give that unit a break. Otherwise, Henry could start wearing Cleveland down in the second half.
Deshaun Watson has thrown for 1,010 yards this season with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. The Jets game wasn’t one of his better outings. He completed only 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards, and those eight sacks made for a long afternoon. Denzel Boston has been a good target for Watson, picking up 330 yards and three touchdowns on 16 receptions. Quinshon Judkins has rushed for 221 yards, although his three yards per carry haven’t given Cleveland much of a boost. The injury list isn’t helping things either. Tytus Howard left the Jets game with a knee problem, while KC Concepcion suffered a head injury. Carson Schwesinger has been dealing with an ankle issue, and Mason Graham has also missed time on the defensive line. I think the Browns need to get the running game going more than anything. Watson can’t keep taking that many hits, and asking him to throw his way out of trouble every Sunday hasn’t been working all that well.
Baltimore Ravens vs Cleveland Browns Picks and Predictions
Against the Spread Pick: Cleveland Browns +4.5
I’m going with Cleveland getting 4.5 points at home, although Baltimore is the team I’d rather have if I were picking the winner outright. The Ravens have scored 53 more points than Cleveland through five games, and Henry has been running the football well. That’s a big advantage. But the Browns have been better defensively when it comes to points allowed, and I don’t think Baltimore’s offense will have an easy afternoon if Jackson has to sit out again. Huntley played well against Atlanta, but Cleveland has already shown it can keep teams from running away on the scoreboard. The Browns have also won both home games, and Monken should have a pretty good idea of what Baltimore likes to do after spending time with the Ravens. That doesn’t mean Cleveland will stop Henry. Nobody has found an easy way to do that. My biggest worry is Watson getting hit again and giving Baltimore the ball in good field position. Still, I expect Cleveland to make some changes after last Sunday’s mess. The Browns should be able to keep this close enough to cover. I’ll take Cleveland +4.5, but I wouldn’t be too interested if the number dropped below four.
Total Pick: Under 41.5 Points
The Browns have been putting up only 18.6 points per game, and I don’t see that offense suddenly turning into a scoring machine against Baltimore. Cleveland has struggled running the ball, and Watson getting sacked eight times against the Jets doesn’t give me much confidence in the passing game either. The Ravens have been scoring 29.2 points per game, but I expect them to use Henry quite a bit Sunday. He’s already rushed for 476 yards, and Baltimore doesn’t need to get into a passing contest if the running game is working. Cleveland will probably try to slow things down as well. The Browns don’t want Watson dropping back 40 times against this defense. What worries me is Baltimore giving up 23.8 points per game. That’s enough to give Cleveland some hope, especially if the Ravens turn the ball over or give up a big play. Jackson returning would also make the under a little tougher to trust. But I keep coming back to Cleveland’s offense. I don’t see the Browns scoring enough to push this into a high-scoring game without some help. A 23-17 Baltimore win sounds about right, although Cleveland could make it even closer. Under 41.5 is my pick.
Final Picks: Cleveland Browns +4.5 and Under 41.5 Points.
Disclaimer: This preview uses information available October 14, 2026. Betting lines, injuries, and weather conditions can change before kickoff. Check the latest information before placing a wager.
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