Deshaun Watson’s Suspension Shouldn’t Prevent Browns From Starting Strong

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was handed a six-game ban on Monday. We look at how Watson’s suspension will impact the Browns’ chances for 2022 and their top futures picks.

Former judge Sue L. Robinson announced on Monday, Aug. 1 that Watson will be suspended for the first six games of the 2022 NFL season due to “nonviolent sexual conduct.” The Cleveland Browns acquired and signed him during the offseason.

While the league will get three days to appeal the ruling, it seems Watson won’t make his debut with the team until Week 7, when Cleveland visits the rival Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 23.

The Browns were priced as high as +2200 (via DraftKings Sportsbook) to win the 2023 Super Bowl, with +100 odds (via FanDuel Sportsbook) of making the playoffs as of July 22. Let’s look at changes in those futures odds and the new picks to make for the Browns’ 2022 season.

Browns’ 2022 Futures Odds

The Browns' odds to win the Super Bowl dropped significantly when they first acquired Watson from the Houston Texans as the heir apparent to former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. They opened at +4000 and immediately were lowered to +2000 at Caesars Sportsbook.

However, in recent weeks and months, their championship odds had slowly been creeping up amid the expectation of a potentially lengthy suspension coming for Watson due to his off-field behavior. Watson even rose dramatically up the oddsboard for both the 2023 MVP and Comeback Player of the Year awards after sitting out the 2021 season.

He remained +4000 and +1000, respectively, to win those awards at DraftKings as of Monday morning.

Impact on Odds and Bets to Make on the Browns

Many of our top-rated sportsbooks pulled odds on the Browns and even the AFC North in most major markets during the aftermath of Monday morning's announcement. After Cleveland ultimately traded a disgruntled Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers, the Browns' projected starter under center for the first six games of the season is veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett. He went 2-3 over five starts with six other appearances while playing for the Miami Dolphins in 2022. Brissett owns a 60.2 career completion percentage and a 14-23 record with three different teams.

Fortunately for the Browns, they face a rather favorable schedule to start the 2022 season. Their first six opponents (the Panthers, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, and New England Patriots) went a combined 44-57-1 in 2022. Cleveland will also play four of its first six games without Watson at home.

How to Bet the Browns in 2022

Cleveland returns the core of a top-ranked defensive unit from 2021, and one of the best rushing duos in the NFL with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. The Browns ranked sixth in the league with a rush-play percentage of 46.02% in 2022. Expect that to increase even more as head coach Kevin Stefanski tries to keep the team's approach simple under the serviceable Brissett.

Even with some of those first six opponents of 2022 improving over the offseason, the Browns starting 3-3 is very much a real possibility. They'll open the season on the road against Mayfield and the Panthers (5-12 in 2021) before hosting the Jets (4-13). The next most-likely win will be in Week 4 in Atlanta (7-10). A home win in Week 3 over a Steelers team (9-7-1) with serious QB questions entering the season would put the Browns over .500 without Watson stepping on the field.

Once books repost odds and lines on the Browns, look to attack the Over on what's likely to be a suppressed win total and favorable odds of making the playoffs. I'd even sprinkle on the Browns to still win the AFC North, with both the Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals facing much tougher schedules in 2022, according to SharpFootballAnalysis.com.

However, if Cleveland starts slow, don't reinvest at probably suppressed odds while banking on Watson leading a dramatic turnaround. The Browns' schedule gets much more difficult from Week 7 through Week 12.

Where to Bet on Browns Futures Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

• FanDuel Sportsbook
• Caesars Sportsbook
• DraftKings Sportsbook
• PointsBet
• BetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

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