by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Sep 23, 2025
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, September 28, 2025
Venue: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Browns +8.5, Lions -8.5; Over/Under: 45.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Browns +8.5, Lions -8.5; Over/Under: 45.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Browns +9.5, Lions -9.5; Over/Under: 45.5 points
Season Record
Cleveland Browns: 1-2 (4th place, AFC North)
Detroit Lions: 2-1 (3rd place, NFC North)
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Recent Form
Cleveland Browns: won their last game at home against the Green Bay Packers 13-10.
Detroit Lions: won their last game on the road against the Baltimore Ravens 38-30.
Cleveland Browns vs Detroit Lions Preview and Analysis
The Browns are entering this game with a 1-2 record overall and they have a 0-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 1-1 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against the Green Bay Packers 13-10. Joe Flacco was the starting QB and he completed 21/36 passes for 142 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Quinshon Judkins led the team in rushing yards with 94 and 1 TD. David Njoku led the receivers with 40 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Carson Schwesinger and Grant Delpit each led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Maliek Collins led the defense in sacks with 1.5. Grant Delpit came away with the only interception for them in that one.
The Lions are entering this game with a 2-1 record overall and they have a 1-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 1-0 in their home games, 1-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against the Baltimore Ravens 38-30. Jared Goff was the starting QB and he completed 20/28 passes for 202 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. David Montgomery led the team in rushing yards with 151 and 2 TDs. Amon-Ra St. Brown led the receivers with 77 receiving yards on 7 receptions and 1 TD. Jack Campbell led the defense in that game with 8 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Al-Quadin Muhammad led the defense in sacks with 2.5. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Browns vs Lions Prediction
The current betting odds have the Lions listed as an 8.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Lions have looked great in their games this season with their 2-1 record overall which has them right in the NFC North battle early on. They opened the year with a bad road loss to the Packers, but now they have won 2 games in a row and have a ton of momentum from their win over the Ravens on Monday night. The Lions made a statement with that Ravens win that they are not a team to be forgotten and now they are getting a much easier matchup at home. Meanwhile, the Browns haven't looked great in their games this season with their 1-2 record overall. They haven't looked as bad as their record as their defense has been really good, almost beating the Bengals in week 1, and now they are off their first win of the season against the Packers 13-10. Their defense has been great and is keeping them in these games, but their offense hasn't shown any signs of life and that has been a big issue. Their offense isn't going to be able to compete with the points that this Lions offense can put up at home. The Browns have also looked a lot better in their 2 home games this season, but their only road game was a 41-17 loss to the Ravens. The Lions have too much momentum right now and this is a bad situation for the Browns on the road off a huge win. The best way to place a bet here is on the Lions to cover the spread in this game.
Browns Lions Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, September 28, 2025 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Lions 45 Browns 13.
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NFL Betting Trends
Cleveland Browns: 5-14 ATS in road games. 0-6 ATS in a road game where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points. 4-8 ATS after scoring 14 points or less last game. 14-5 OVER in road games. 10-5 OVER when playing against a team with a winning record.
Detroit Lions: 28-13 ATS in all games. 23-11 ATS as a favorite. 15-6 ATS after scoring 30 points or more last game. 9-4 ATS when playing against a team with a losing record. 25-15 OVER in all games. 10-3 OVER in a home game where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points.
Key Injuries
Cleveland Browns: J. Bitonio (OG) Injured - Back. J. Conklin (OT) Injured - Elbow. G. Delpit (S) Injured - Back. M. Garrett (DL) Injured - Rest. M. Hall Jr. (DL) Injured - Knee. S. Harris (DL) Injured - Hamstring. D. Njoku (TE) Injured - Knee. C. Tillman (WR) Injured - Hand. D. Ward (CB) Injured - Shoulder.
Detroit Lions: T. Decker (OT) Injured - Shoulder. A. Muhammad (DL) Injured - Knee. D. Thomas (S) Injured - Forearm. S. Vaki (RB) Injured - Groin. D. Barnes (LB) Injured - Knee. D. Reed (CB) Injured - Cramping.
Notable Quotes
“I’m really proud of that young man. I’m happy for that young man. He’s been through a lot in his life, I would tell you. And the kids come through.” - Kevin Stefanski after his team’s win against the Packers in their last game.
“I just thought it was an outstanding team effort, man. I was proud of the players, I was proud of the coaches. It's just a huge win.” - Dan Campbell after his team’s win against the Ravens in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Cleveland Browns
WR Tillman, Cedric
WR Jeudy, Jerry
TE Njoku, David
TE Fannin Jr., Harold
QB Flacco, Joe
RB Judkins, Quinshon
Detroit Lions
WR Raymond, Kalif
WR Williams, Jameson
WR St. Brown, Amon-Ra
TE LaPorta, Sam
QB Goff, Jared
RB Gibbs, Jahmyr
Statistical Leaders
Cleveland Browns
Passing: Joe Flacco (631)
Rushing: Quinshon Judkins (155)
Receiving: Harold Fannin Jr. (136)
Touchdowns: Cedric Tillman (2)
Detroit Lions
Passing: Jared Goff (761)
Rushing: David Montgomery (233)
Receiving: Amon-Ra St. Brown (237)
Touchdowns: Amon-Ra St. Brown (4)
Coaches:
Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski (6th season)
Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
