Browns continue playoff quest

Cleveland (9-5) is making a rare run toward the playoffs as the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals (5-9) continue to unravel.

The Browns, 21/2-point road favorites over the Bengals today, are handicapper Mark Franco’s top play.

“Cleveland comes into this game much more motivated,” Franco said. “If the Browns win, they are in the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Cincinnati has pretty much given up on what has turned out to be a horrible season.”

Anderson, making everyone forget about first-round draft pick Brady Quinn, torched the Bengals for five touchdown passes in the Browns’ 51-45 victory in Week 2. That was the breakout game for Anderson, who has 26 TD passes.

Cleveland’s offensive line has allowed only 17 sacks, five of those coming in a season-opening loss to Pittsburgh when Anderson was the backup to since-traded Charlie Frye.

The Browns are fifth in the NFL in scoring offense at 26.3 points per game. The Bengals defense allows 24.7 points per game, ranking 26th in the league.

Veteran running back Jamal Lewis has been rejuvenated in Cleveland. Lewis rushed for 216 yards against Cincinnati in the first meeting.

“Backing the Browns this season has been very profitable,” Franco said, noting Cleveland is 11-3 against the spread, second best to the Green Bay Packers (11-2-1).

The Browns are 5-2 against the spread on the road this season. They have been a road favorite in December only once since 1989 — that was two weeks ago, when Cleveland beat the New York Jets 24-18 as a 3-point favorite.

Franco, second in the Review-Journal NFL Challenge with a 41-33-2 record against the spread, analyzes the rest of today’s Week 16 lineup:

• Green Bay (-8) at Chicago: The Packers almost had the Bears knocked out in the first meeting Oct. 7, but Green Bay played a horrible second half and turned the ball over five times. The Packers had a 439-285 advantage in total yards.

Kyle Orton will get his second start at quarterback for the Bears, who finished with 209 yards last week, their second-lowest total of the season. Brett Favre is 13-2 career in Chicago and will want to keep his team in contention for the NFC’s top playoff seed. I’ll back the Packers, who are 6-1 against the spread on the road.

• Houston at Indianapolis (-7): The Texans are 3-0 ATS with Sage Rosenfels as their starting quarterback. The Colts are expected to miss at least five starters, including defensive end Robert Mathis, and are locked into the AFC’s second seed. Peyton Manning has thrown 12 touchdowns and one interception in his past five games against Houston. The home team is 6-2 ATS in the past eight meetings. The question is how long Colts coach Tony Dungy will play his starters.

• Kansas City at Detroit (-41/2): These teams have lost a combined 13 straight games. The Lions started the season 6-2 with playoff aspirations that have been flushed down the drain. Detroit is 0-6 straight up and 1-5 ATS in its past six games, and Jon Kitna has thrown 11 interceptions during the losing streak. The Chiefs have shown they are a bad team, so I’ll pass on this one.

• Miami at New England (-22): All in one week, the Dolphins grabbed their first win of the season and hired a respected football mind in Bill Parcells.

The undefeated Patriots will not be resting anyone at the start of this game, and this Miami team is terrible. New England has not covered the three games this season in which it was favored by more than 17 points. It’s too tough to lay the points and tough to take the Dolphins, so count me out.

• New York Giants (-21/2) at Buffalo: The Giants have been great on the road, 6-1 straight up and against the spread. Buffalo has had the injury bug, with 15 players on injured reserve, but has played with heart. The Bills, 6-1 ATS at home, are led by two rookies in quarterback Trent Edwards and running back Marshawn Lynch.

The Giants will be desperate because if they fail to beat the Bills, their playoff hopes could come down to a meeting with New England in the regular-season finale. Will the Giants fold like a lawn chair again this season? I’m not sure. Although this total — 321/2 — is the lowest on the board, I still lean to the under.

• Oakland at Jacksonville (-13): The Jaguars can clinch a playoff spot with a win, and their offense should continue rolling behind running backs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. The Raiders defense ranks near the bottom of the league. I’ll lay the number with Jacksonville.

• Philadelphia at New Orleans (-31/2): The Saints, tied with Washington one game behind sixth-place Minnesota in the NFC, have won seven of their past 10. New Orleans’ eighth-ranked rush defense must find a way to slow Brian Westbrook. The Eagles’ biggest game was a win last week at Dallas, and the Saints will play with greater motivation.

• Washington at Minnesota (-61/2): The Redskins are 1-14 ATS after winning straight up as an underdog. The Vikings, behind the league’s top-ranked run offense and run defense, have rattled off five straight wins while going 4-1 ATS. Look for Minnesota to get running backs Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor going early and often, taking erratic quarterback Tarvaris Jackson mostly out of the equation. I’m on the Vikings

• Atlanta at Arizona (-10): Can it get any worse for the Falcons? No team appears to have less to play for in the final two games. Both defenses are giving up more than 30 points per game over the past three games. I have a slight lean over the total (431/2).

• Baltimore at Seattle (-101/2): Ravens rookie and former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith will get his first start at quarterback in one of the NFL’s loudest stadiums. Baltimore is the league’s worst team against the spread at 2-12. Seattle is 8-2 ATS at home versus a team with a losing record. The Seahawks should bounce back big from their first loss in six games last week at Carolina.

• New York Jets at Tennessee (-81/2): The Jets are 3-13 straight up and 4-12 ATS on the road versus a nondivision opponent. The New York offense will have problems with this young Titans defense. Tennessee must win its last two and get help to get a wild-card spot.

• Tampa Bay (-6) at San Francisco: The Buccaneers have the NFC South locked up, so it’s hard to say if they will be focused in this game. The 49ers have gone under the total in six of seven home games.

Compiled by Review-Journal sportswriter Matt Youmans.