- ABC News
- January 12, 2024
The Cleveland Browns are in unfamiliar territory in the best possible way. The perennially disappointing NFL franchise is making its second playoff appearance since 2020 after experiencing a 17-season playoff drought from 2003 through 2019; it's one of just four teams -- along with the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans -- to have never appeared in a Super Bowl. That has produced a shocking, but perhaps not surprising, betting stat: Through 12 qualifying games, Cleveland has never been a road playoff favorite in the Super Bowl era. That changes Saturday when the Browns visit NRG Stadium in Houston as 2-point favorites, per ESPN BET odds. The last time Cleveland was favored in a playoff game in any capacity was during the 1994 wild-card round against the New England Patriots -- a game that ended up being Bill Belichick's only postseason win as Browns head coach. Sportsbooks aren't reading too heavily into Cleveland's...