Can the 49ers stay undefeated? Matt DiLeo previews this Monday Night Football Showdown and offers his best bet of the night.
Browns @ 49ers Preview
Game: Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers
Date & Time: Monday October 7th, 2019, 8:15 (EST)
Location: Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco, California
The Line: San Francisco 49ers -5, O/U: 47
TV Channel: ESPN
The 49ers (3-0) are fresh off of a bye week as they try to defend their home turf against the Cleveland Browns (2-2) who are finally showing some life and looking like they can be the real deal. The 49ers are the last undefeated team in the NFC, and they are looking to keep it that way. The Browns went to Baltimore last week and won convincingly to get to 2-2 on the season and tied for 1st in the AFC South. The Browns will need to steal a win in San Francisco to stay tied for 1st in the division heading into week 6. The 49ers are “optimistic” that Tevin Coleman will be back for this game, a key player they’ve been without since Week 1. For Cleveland, Jarvis Landry had a concussion last week but has cleared protocol and is listed as “probable” going into Monday morning. Both teams should have all of their offensive weapons ready to go for the start of this game.
Browns @ 49ers Prediction
The Browns finally showed their playmaking ability against the Ravens last week and it’s making fans hop back on the bandwagon to see if the Browns are in fact a contender. Odell and Landry are a little banged up, but they will both be ready to go, especially in a primetime game. I think the Browns learned from their mistakes and will come out and establish the run game early. The 49ers will need to jump out to an early lead and make Baker throw the ball early and often, but if they don’t, they could be in trouble. The Browns have a lot of momentum and the 49ers are undefeated, but they really haven’t played too much competition. The Bucs, Bengals, and the struggling Steelers are the 3 teams that the 49ers have beaten so far. I think the Browns will be too much for them to handle and primetime games are usually close, so I am leaning the Browns +5 here.
Browns @ 49ers Pick
+200 on the Money line is very tempting as I think the Browns are more battle tested and already have 1 primetime game under their belt. However, I would be safe and take the points here. Matty Ice Out!