The Denver Broncos will look to inch closer to the top seed in the AFC with their 10 th win in a row as they host the Cleveland Browns who are coming off loss against the Washington Redskins in which back up rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins shredded the Browns defense to the tune of 38 points. Denver meanwhile went into Baltimore and trounced the Ravens solidifying themselves as a Super bowl favourite as they have done no wrong over the last two-plus months and look like a team of destiny heading into the playoffs.
 
The Cleveland Browns were on the losing end of some heartbreaking games early this season accounting for their very one-sided record but a midseason resurgence saw them win 3 of 4 contests and had them making some noise as a spoiler in the AFC and putting up a fight against some of the league’s very best. However, their forward momentum came to a crashing halt at home last weekend as the Robert Griffin-less Redskins had their way with the Browns secondary and absolutely dominated them en route to a 17-point victory. While the game was a state of desperation for the Skins you would have to think that Cleveland would show up in such a game that had the team’s starting pivot out of the lineup and a receiving corps that isn’t anything to write home about but they were wallpapered and driven off the field. The Browns appear as though they’re going to shut down Trent Richardson for the year or at the very least continue to limit his snaps which doesn’t bode well for Cleveland in this spot as he is far and away the team’s best player on offense. That means they will be putting the game in Brandon Weeden’s hands and against a defense that includes Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil, and defensive player of the year candidate Von Miller which doesn’t bode very well on any day let alone in Denver with the Broncos looking to improve their playoff positioning.
 
The Denver Broncos were a playoff team a season ago albeit by virtue of winning the very weak AFC West and that was with Tim Tebow at the helm so you can be sure Broncos fans were ecstatic when they learned of Peyton Manning’s signing in Mile High. Well he hasn’t disappointed and after a year off to recover from neck surgery Manning has come back better than ever and could very well win yet another MVP award if he continues to play the way he has all season in the final two weeks. Manning’s presence was an immediate upgrade for the Broncos offense with the likes of Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas, and now running back Knowshon Moreno enjoying career seasons and a defense that was already one of the best in football. Heading back home after a statement game in Baltimore against a Browns team who isn’t even on the same planet as the Broncos could be a bit of a letdown spot for Denver and if they get off to a slow start the Browns could pull off the back door cover. This isn’t a question of whether the Broncos will get the victory it is a question of by how much? The spread set at 13-points sets us up perfectly for a two-touchdown cover which is by no means out of the question as the Browns suffered worse than that fate a week ago and that was at home against an undermanned Redskins club. I think the façade of Cleveland covering games is washed at this point especially if they’re without Richardson and while the Broncos premiere talents may not stay in the entire game I still think they get it done with solid defense and a potent offense. Will see where this line moves to but at the moment I like Denver and the 13-points at home.