For Browns fans who fancy a flutter, there’s no shortage of options available this offseason. Although it's still a bit too early to place wagers on regular-season games, hopeful gamblers can scratch that competitive itch by putting their money on proposition (prop) and future bets. Before these odds are ever offered to the public, handicappers analyze reams of data to determine likely outcomes. Unfortunately for the Browns, though, the behind-the-scenes brains in many of the top sportsbooks all agree that Cleveland has a slim chance of reaching success in any shape or form.
Their lack of confidence in the Browns’ abilities results in some of these odds being extremely long and pushes potential payouts to staggering sums. Longshots and upsets are far from impossible in this league, and some bettors who place their faith in the Browns could see some wild winnings if things go their way.
A common bet for forward-thinking fans is on the Regular Season MVP. For some context, this award has gone to a quarterback each of the last twelve years and is almost always awarded to an offensive player who puts points on the board for their team. With this in mind, the Browns lack many candidates who fit this criteria. Their best player, Myles Garrett, makes his money on the defensive side of the ball and is duly sitting at +20000 odds according to FanDuel Sportsbook, meaning that for a $100 bet, someone would win $20,000.
On offense, their best player’s chances of winning the award are even slimmer, with Jerry Jeudy going off at +50000. As a receiver, Jeudy’s success is inextricably tied to that of the quarterback throwing him the ball, something that, at this moment, is very much up in the air for the Browns. Blame his unstoppable hype train, but even Shedeur Sanders makes an appearance on this list, actually above Jeudy at +42000, itself an unprecedented accomplishment for a fourth-string rookie taken in the fifth round.
There is one award that Myles Garrett will almost certainly be in the running for: Defensive Player of the Year. Having won the distinction in 2023, there's no reason to believe that he couldn’t reclaim the honor this year. Sportsbooks see this potential too, placing him at +700, just behind Micah Parsons, who boasts the shortest odds at +650.
Browns players aren't the only ones insulted by embarrassing odds. Sportsbooks place Kevin Stefanski’s chances of winning Coach of the Year at a slim +5000, which pushes him toward the bottom of the pack. It's hard to argue with these odds, though, given that he is coming off a pathetic three-win season that left a lot of room for improvement.
By now, it might seem like the Browns have a one-in-a-million chance of earning any of these coveted awards this season. In moments of doubt like this, it's important to reflect on the sage words of Lloyd Christmas, who optimistically quipped, “So, you’re saying there’s a chance.”
In the Rookie of the Year race, there’s not just a chance but a pretty compelling one. Bettors have high hopes for Browns’ rookie running back Quinshon Judkins, who currently has the seventh-best odds at +1600 to win the award. If, as many predict, the Browns’ quarterback woes carry over into the regular season, their offense will have to rely heavily on their running game to put points on the board and control time of possession. In this scenario, Judkins could have plenty of opportunities to stack stats and earn himself the honor.
For bettors buying into Shedeurmania, he can be bet on to win Rookie of the Year at +2600, the 13th-best odds, which is hard to comprehend given the fact that he is currently last on the Browns’ depth chart. Oddly enough, Dillon Gabriel sits well behind Shedeur in the betting lines at +8000 despite a superior spot on the depth chart and being taken two rounds earlier in the draft. Lest gamblers overlook the Browns’ notable defensive additions, rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger finds himself in the mix to win Defensive Rookie of the Year at a respectable +4000.
With a fair mix of longshots and competitive contenders, Browns fans can find a wide range of alluring places to stake their wagers if they believe in the team’s as-yet untapped potential. As a final note, if anyone is feeling particularly froggish, they can jump on Deshaun Watson winning Comeback Player of the Year at +40000 odds.
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