Good morning! Another exciting week of football kicks off tonight, even though Steelers-Browns isn’t exactly Chargers-Chiefs or Bills-Rams.
Not every Thursday Night Football game is going to be a gem like the last two, but there is still plenty of intrigue for a heated division matchup between two teams with playoff aspirations, no matter how lofty those may seem.
In today’s Winners Club you’ll find:
Steelers-Browns TNF Showdown Features Lowest O/U of the Week
8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
Either Pittsburgh or Cleveland has the opportunity to—at least temporarily—take sole possession of first place in the AFC North when the two teams meet Thursday evening. The Steelers (+650) and Browns (+350) both have long odds to win the division, but the Bengals (+275) have gotten off to a surprising 0-2 start and the Ravens (+100) had a win taken out from under them last week against the Dolphins to start 1-1.
Pittsburgh swept Cleveland in 2021 and dominated the Browns during the Ben Roethlisberger era. With Mitch Trubisky now running the show in Pittsburgh, the run-heavy Browns have the edge in the eyes of the oddsmakers.
In Frankie Taddeo’s game preview for SI Betting, he revealed the key betting trends for both teams, showed where the public money lies and made his bet. Taddeo also called his shot on four player prop bets for the game, which is projected to be a very low-scoring affair with an over/under of just 38 points. And finally, Albert Breer, Michael Fabiano and Jen Piacenti got together to discuss the key storylines for the first game of Week 3.
Some things you should know
- Browns DE Jadeveon Clowney (ankle) is out for Thursday night’s game. He had two sacks in the last meeting between these teams.
- Cleveland’s 200.5 rush yards per game leads the NFL. Nick Chubb, who accounts for 114 of those yards on the ground, has the second-most rushing yards in the league.
- The Steelers’ five interceptions are tied for the most of any defense and their seven sacks are tied for fourth.
- Pittsburgh only has two offensive touchdowns this season, which is tied for the fewest in the NFL.
- The Steelers are 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings against the Browns.
SI Sportsbook’s Perfect 10 Contest continues this week with 10 more games for users to pick from and win. Taddeo broke down each game and touched on two important betting trends that are emerging early in the year: Unders are 17-13-1 ATS (56.7%) and the under is 21-10-1 (67.7%). Bill Enright also discussed this week’s games in detail for the contest, which carries a $10,000 prize. Plus, each participant who picks at least six games correctly will be awarded consolation prizes in the form of free bets!
There’s some great games on the docket, including an Aaron Rodgers-Tom Brady matchup in Tampa and an AFC East showdown between the Bills and Dolphins, who are coming off Tua Tagovailoa’s big game.
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Remember to set your fantasy lineups before Thursday night’s game kicks off, folks. This might not be the most fruitful fantasy matchup out there, but it does feature the No. 1 running back in Chubb, capable receivers and neither defense is a bad play.
Consult the SI Fantasy team’s weekly tools to help win your week:
Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Quarterbacks: Kirk Cousins is due for a bounceback in a division bout with the Lions and leave Baker Mayfield on your bench.
Running backs: A game against the Bears could be Dameon Pierce’s coming out party, while you should stay away from the Rams’ backfield.
Wide receivers: Cortland Sutton and Russell Wilson have already established a connection—the same can’t be said for Robert Woods and Ryan Tannehill.
Tight ends: Tyler Higbee is a smash play this week, but don’t count on a Cole Kmet revival Sunday.
Kickers and defenses: Micah Parsons anchors the Dallas defense in a good matchup against the Giants, while the Broncos should be sat against the visiting 49ers.
Stat Projections
Quarterbacks: Bet on Joe Burrow getting right this week against the Jets.
Running backs: It’s been a disappointing few weeks for running backs with high ADPs, but the first-round RBs are due for breakouts this weekend.
Wide receivers: Michael Pittman Jr. is a top-five option in his return to the field against the Chiefs.
Tight ends: Give Kyle Pitts one more week for his talent to shine through.
More news, notes and updates around the league: Buccaneers WR Mike Evans’s appeal of his one-game suspension was rejected so he will miss Sunday’s game against the Packers, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was seen wearing a protective sleeve during practice but coach John Harbaugh assured reporters Jackson will play Sunday, former Saints coach Sean Payton said “If I felt like if it was the right situation, I would have an interest in that,” when asked about returning to coaching in 2023 and 49ers TE George Kittle logged a limited practice Wednesday and there’s optimism he could make his debut Sunday night.
Week 4 Filled With Top-25 In-Conference Matchups
Last weekend didn’t do much to shake up the college football hierarchy. It still goes: Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and then the rest of the field.
Week 4, which features a trio of games between ranked opponents and some crucial meetings between conference foes, could do a bit more damage. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide are both heavy favorites, as they tend to be, but there’s upset potential elsewhere in the top 25.
Robin Lundberg and I discussed two such games: Florida-Tennessee and USC-Oregon State. The Volunteers are double-digit favorites at Neyland Stadium while the Trojans are a road favorite in the Pacific Northwest.
Top-25 Action
12 p.m. ET (ABC): No. 5 Clemson (-7) vs. No. 21 Wake Forest
3:30 p.m. ET (CBS): No. 20 Florida vs. No. 11 Tennessee (-10.5)
7 p.m. ET (ESPN): No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 23 Texas A&M (-2.5)
Other Games For Your Consideration
12 p.m. ET (ESPN2): No. 17 Baylor vs. Iowa State (-3)
4 p.m. ET (FOX): No. 15 Oregon (-6.5) vs. Washington State
9:30 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network): No. 7 USC (-6) vs. Oregon State
National Championship Odds Watch
Georgia, the defending champion, is your new national championship favorite at SI Sportsbook. The Bulldogs (+175) passed Alabama (+200), which previously held the best odds. UGA narrowed the gap on its SEC foe a week ago and now has jumped ‘Bama. Ohio State (+300) is still firmly in third place, while USC (+1200) is gaining some ground on the top contenders.
In Other News
Robert Sarver to Begin Selling Suns, Mercury: Sarver, the owner of the Suns and Mercury, said Wednesday he will begin the process of selling both teams following an investigation into workplace misconduct that resulted in a one-year suspension and a $10 million fine. Potential buyers have already emerged.
Celtics Coach Ime Udoka Facing Suspension: Boston’s coach is facing a significant suspension for reportedly having a consensual relationship with a woman on the staff, a violation of team rules. His job is not believed to be in jeopardy. This comes months after the Celtics made a run to the NBA Finals in Udoka’s first season at the helm.
2023 Draft Prospects to Watch: Five more college football players are driving their draft stock up for their play through three weeks, including a pair of Big Ten running backs.
Thanks for reading Winners Club! Good luck with all of your prop bets, DFS lineups and fantasy football matchups.
I’ll be back in your inbox Sunday morning ahead of another packed day of NFL action.
