Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland Browns Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

A pair of recent Heisman-winning quarterbacks appear set to face off this week when the Tennessee Titans and Marcus Mariota, who is 1-0 both straight up and against the spread as an NFL starter, visit the Cleveland Browns and Johnny Manziel, who is 0-2 both SU and ATS through his first two NFL starts, Sunday afternoon.

Point spread: The Browns opened as 3.5-point favorites; the total was 41.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 24.2-22.4 Browns

Why the Titans can cover the spread

Tennessee began the Marcus Mariota era with a rousing 42-14 victory last week at Tampa Bay, winning outright as a three-point road dog.

Last year's Heisman Trophy winner threw four touchdown passes in the first half of his first-ever NFL start, and on the day, he hit on 13 of 16 throws for 209 yards. Mariota only had to throw the ball 16 times because the Titans ground out 124 yards on 32 rushing attempts, controlling the clock for 31.5 minutes.

Tennessee fell to 2-14 last season but is an improved team now in its second season under head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who took the Arizona Cardinals, of all teams, to the Super Bowl a few seasons back. Bettors might be wise to temper any buzz they might have about the rookie quarterback, but a quarterback's best friend is a good running game, and Mariota had one last week. The Titans could be a team on the rise.

Why the Browns can cover the spread

Cleveland opened its season last week with a 31-10 loss to the New York Jets, missing ATS as a three-point underdog. The Browns led 10-7 late into the second quarter, but they let things slip away from there thanks in part to four lost fumbles.

Starting quarterback Josh McCown left the game early with a concussion he suffered while trying to fly into the end zone. While backup Johnny Manziel struggled against a tough New York defense, he did provide about the only offensive spark, hitting wide receiver Travis Benjamin on a 54-yard bomb for the first score of the game.

Cleveland went 7-9 last year, and four of those losses came by a total of 10 points, so the Browns don't seem too far away. If Johnny Football can make some progress, hang on to the ball and get some help from the running game, and if the defense can give a circa-2013 performance, Cleveland could pick up its first win of the season Sunday.

Smart pick

The Browns just beat Tennessee 14 NFL weeks ago 29-28, rallying from a 28-3 deficit to win on Brian Hoyer's third touchdown pass of the day. But this Sunday, Hoyer will be in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his new team, the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, the Titans should have won last year's game and stand as a better team than they were that day. The smart money here takes Tennessee.

Betting trends

The Titans are 1-6 SU and ATS in their last seven games.

The Titans are 1-4 SU and ATS in their last five games on the road.

The Browns are 1-5 SU and ATS in their last six games as favorites in September.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, and all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.