Chargers vs. Browns Week 5 matchup preview and current betting lines
The Los Angeles Chargers will face the Cleveland Browns for the first time since Week 5 last year. That game was really the peak (so far) of the Brandon Staley tenure in Los Angeles. His decision to go for some fourth downs sparked a comeback in an epic shootout that was eventually won 47-42 by the Chargers in Los Angeles.
It led to a 4-1 record, but Staley is just 7-9 over his last 16 games. Meanwhile, the Browns have alternated wins and losses in 2022 with a 2-2 record. Still, with the help of Nick Chubb’s dominance on the ground, the Browns are moving the football better than anyone expected with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback through four games:
- Browns are No. 4 in yards per drive and No. 5 in points per drive
- Chargers are No. 12 in yards per drive and No. 12 in points per drive
The Chargers are the only team in the NFL to lose by more than 16 points in the last two weeks with that rotten 38-10 loss to Jacksonville. With the injury news trending in a better direction for Cleveland as game day approaches, this could be another interesting matchup for the slightly favored Chargers on the road.
The NFL Week 5 odds have the Chargers as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 47.5 points in this matchup. Let’s just say we won’t see 47-42 again this time.
Players to watch in the Chargers vs. Browns game
Los Angeles Chargers
Gerald Everett: In his first year with the team, the tight end is on pace for a career year with over 800 yards (career high: 478 yards) and is already the second-leading receiver on the team in Keenan Allen’s absence. He caught his second touchdown of the season on Sunday in Houston.
Cleveland Browns
Amari Cooper: Few No. 1 wide receivers ever disappear as often as Cooper. He had 17 yards in Week 1 and 9 yards in Week 4’s loss in Atlanta. In between, Cooper had 101 yards and a touchdown in both games. This is what Cleveland signed up for, but with an opponent like the Chargers coming in, this needs to be a big bounce-back game for Cooper.
Our Best NFL Bets for the Chargers vs. Browns game
We have two NFL Week 5 predictions for this matchup of two defenses ranked in the bottom eight in points per drive allowed.
Chargers vs. Browns Point Spread Pick: Browns +2.5 (-110)
The Chargers vs. Browns spread opened with the Chargers as 3-point road favorites, but you can find the Browns at +2.5 at many sportsbooks as we get closer to the weekend.
Remember when the 2016 Chargers lost 20-17 in Cleveland to the 0-14 Browns? Well, this is nothing like that, but it does feel like a good spot for the Chargers to be upset on the road.
Cleveland’s rushing attack has been so good this year with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and we know the Chargers do not put a premium on stopping the run (31st in rushing yards per carry allowed).
Jacoby Brissett threw a back-breaking pick out of desperation in Atlanta, but it was only his second this season as he generally takes care of the football. He also doesn’t have to deal with star pass rusher Joey Bosa (groin tear).
Meanwhile, Justin Herbert still doesn’t have Keenan Allen at wide receiver, and he may have to deal with Cleveland’s pass-rushing duo of Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney this week. Clowney was close to playing Sunday, and Garrett was back on the practice field Wednesday following his car accident that kept him out of the Atlanta game.
The Chargers are not rising above the competition the way some of us expected they would this season. Trust the Browns’ ground game and pass rush to take care of the Chargers in an upset here.
Do not forget to stay dialed in with our NFL picks page for more betting tips.
Bet on NFL with caesars >Total Points: Over 47.5 (-110)
In Week 4, we had a fun stat with the Browns and Falcons facing each other as they were the only teams to score at least 26 points in each of the first three games. Had Cleveland not botched its final drive in regulation and forced overtime with a 23-23 tie, then someone fittingly would have needed to get to 26 points (or more) to win the game. But the Browns are one of the most unreliable teams at game-winning drives.
Fortunately, the Chargers can blow leads with the best of them, and this matchup has great potential to be a shootout after these teams played a 47-42 game a year ago. It won’t get to that ridiculous level again, but Chubb and Hunt are going to be a problem for the Chargers. The duo had 222 yards and three touchdowns on the ground last year.
Baker Mayfield threw for over 300 yards, a rarity, and half those yards went to tight end David Njoku, who has looked very comfortable with Brissett this year. Njoku has 162 yards and a touchdown in the last two games, and Amari Cooper should be a bounce-back candidate after only having 9 yards in Atlanta.
It should be 60 degrees and sunny in Cleveland, as you should start checking the weather report this time of year if you saw the rainy messes in Philadelphia and Baltimore last week that hampered passing offenses. No issues here, so bank on the mini-shootout to push for the over 47.5 points for your NFL bet of the week.
bet on NFL with draftkings >Frequently asked questions about the Chargers vs. Browns game in week 5
The game is being played at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
Since 2020, the Chargers under Herbert are 3-4 SU as a road underdog, the third-worst record in the NFL for any team with more than one such game. They are 2-4-1 ATS.
Be sure to keep up with our player prop picks and daily NFL predictions.