Browns Open Up As More Than A Touchdown Favorite Over Cardinals

Despite a tough road loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns are still 4-3 on the season and are in a good spot as the calendar flips to November later this week.

The worst thing that can happen for Cleveland during this upcoming key stretch of the season is one loss spiraling into multiple. Fortunately, the Vegas oddsmakers don't think that's going to happen when the Arizona Cardinals come to Northeast Ohio in Week 9.

Per the SI Sportsbook, the Browns open up this week as a -6.5 point favorite over the 1-7 Cardinals.

Recent reporting suggests that star quarterback Deshaun Watson will continue rehabbing his injured rotator cuff and sit out at least one more week for the Browns. If that proves to be true – and barring an unforeseen QB trade by tomorrow's deadline – P.J. Walker would be slated to start once more.

The Cardinals are dealing with a nebulous quarterback situation of their own now that Heisman winning QB Kyle Murray has returned to practice after spending nearly 11 months rehabbing a torn ACL. First-year head coach Jonathan Gannon already went ahead and named Joshua Dobbs the team's starter following their Week 8 loss to Baltimore though.

Dobbs, of course, signed a one-year deal with the Browns back in March and spent the team's entire offseason program as their primary backup to Watson. However, just days before Cleveland's final preseason game, general manager Andrew Berry opted for trading Dobbs to Arizona in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round pick.

Dobbs has shown some promise this season, throwing for 1,569 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games for the Cardinals this season. He's also tossed five interception though including two this past weekend against Baltimore. His 62.8 completion percentage on the season is ironically better than of both Watson and Walker.