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Cleveland Browns open as 2.5-point underdog in Week 1 matchup vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Cleveland Browns will open the 2023 NFL season as underdogs against the Cincinnati Bengals.

CLEVELAND — On Thursday, the NFL released the entirety of its 2023 schedule, including the Cleveland Browns' 17-game slate.

And it won't take long for the Browns to test themselves against the AFC North's best, with Cleveland hosting the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.

As one might've expected, the Browns will enter the season as an underdog, with multiple sportsbooks listing the Bengals as a 2.5-point favorite in the Week 1 "Battle of Ohio." Having won the AFC North title in each of the past two seasons and coming off a second consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance, Cincinnati enters the 2023 campaign with lofty expectations with the Bengals currently possessing the fifth-best Super Bowl odds at 9-1.

Cleveland, meanwhile, currently lays claim to the 13th-best Super Bowl odds at 28-1 as quarterback Deshaun Watson enters his first full season as the Browns' starting quarterback. After missing the first 11 games of the 2022 campaign due to a suspension, the three-time Pro Bowl section struggled in his first six games as Cleveland's signal-caller, as the Browns finished the season with a 7-10 record, missing the playoffs for a second straight year.

In 2023, Cleveland will be looking for Watson to return to his Pro Bowl form, which could throw a wrench in the AFC North -- and larger AFC -- playoff picture. Starting with their Week 1 opener vs. the Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium, the entirety of the Browns' 2023 schedule is as follows:

  • Sept. 10 - vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Sept. 18 - @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 p.m. ET (ABC)
  • Sept. 24 - vs. Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Oct. 1 - vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Bye
  • Oct. 15 vs. San Francisco 49ers, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
  • Oct. 22 - @ Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Oct. 29 - at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
  • Nov. 5 - vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Nov. 12 - at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
  • Nov. 19 - vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Nov. 26 - at Denver Broncos, 4:05 ET (FOX)
  • Dec. 3 - at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
  • Dec. 10 - vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • TBD - vs. Chicago Bears, TBD (TBD)
  • Dec. 24 - at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Dec. 28 - vs. New York Jets, 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
  • TBD - at Cincinnati Bengals, TBD (TBD)

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