Vegas Has Cleveland Browns as Second-Longest Odds to Make 2016 Playoffs

By Zac Wassink | Jun 30, 2016

Jun 7, 2016; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson yells to the team during minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Feeling good about the Cleveland Browns following the recent achievements accomplished by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Indians? Las Vegas apparently does not share such feelings.

To steal the phrase from a well-known movie:

So you’re telling me there’s a chance.

The final day of June brought with it Bovada releasing odds for every National Football League team as it pertains to making the 2017 NFL Playoffs. Fans of the Cleveland Browns will likely not be surprised to learn that Las Vegas is not high on the Browns heading into the July 4 holiday weekend. Fear not, Cleveland faithful, as the Browns are not at the very bottom of the list.

Enjoy the small victory, Cleveland fans.

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Rob Trites of OddsShark.com posted the odds on June 30. As of the last day of the month, the Browns are listed at +600 to make the upcoming NFL postseason. Cleveland is a -1000 to miss the playoffs this time around.

Those unfamiliar with betting on sporting events can visit this OddsShark.com link for more information.

The Browns are not responsible for the longest odds to qualify for the 2017 NFL Playoffs. That distinction goes to the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers sit at +750 to make the postseason, and the 49ers are at a whopping -1500 to fail to qualify for the playoffs.

Only the 49ers and Browns are in the quadruple-digits as it pertains to betting on those clubs missing the playoffs.

The Browns and 49ers have a lot in common following the 2015 NFL regular season. Both clubs have new head coaches. Former Cincinnati Bengals assistant Hue Jackson serves as the head coach of the Browns, while former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly accepted the San Francisco gig earlier this year.

Both the Browns and 49ers are in the middle of quarterback competitions. Former Washington Redskins starter Robert Griffin III, journeyman Josh McCown and rookie Cody Kessler are battling it out in Cleveland. Either Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert or somebody else will line up under center for the 49ers.

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So what do these odds tell us about the Browns and 49ers weeks before training camp? Not a lot that we already didn’t know. The numbers suggest those in Las Vegas responsible for putting together such information have more faith in Hue Jackson pulling off a miracle this fall than they do in Chip Kelly re-finding his way after his fall from grace in Philadelphia.

That’s no surprise.

Jackson is not only well-respected for his talents as a supposed “quarterback guru.” He is also an unknown as a head coach. Yes, Jackson technically served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for a season back in 2011, but the Raiders then pressed the figurative reset button by hiring a new general manager. That GM, understandably, was always going to hire his pick of a head coach.

Jackson’s time in Oakland expired before his official termination.

Kelly, meanwhile, has no such excuses. Following back-to-back 10-6 seasons with the Eagles, the club named Kelly czar of football operations. That decision backfired for all involved. Kelly completed multiple questionable transactions, such as dealing running back LeSean McCoy and QB Nick Foles for reasons that still don’t make a lot of sense to this day. Philadelphia dropped to 6-9 in 2015, and the Eagles parted ways with Kelly before the end of the season.

It has since been widely reported that Kelly made more than a few enemies inside of the Philadelphia locker room.

Both Jackson and Kelly will, of course, be able to do only so much with their respective teams. The Browns and 49ers have numerous holes in several portions of their rosters. Neither club has a proven franchise QB.

Cleveland fans may be curious about the playoff odds for the other three teams in the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens are at +125 to make the playoffs and -155 to miss the playoffs. The Cincinnati Bengals are at -165 to make the postseason and +135 to be on the outside looking in during the early days of next winter. The Pittsburgh Steelers are -300 to make the playoffs and +240 to miss out next January.

A lot can and will change between now and the start of the regular season. Players will pick up little knocks and significant injuries. Reporters and the public will watch training camp sessions and multiple preseason games. Odds will change based on all that occurs over the next several months.

Do not, however, expect the Browns to climb up Vegas odds to make the NFL Playoffs anytime soon.

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It’s an exciting time to be in and around Cleveland right now. The championship drought that hovered over the city’s sports teams for roughly 52 years ended when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors to win the National Basketball Association Finals. Progressive Field should be rocking all next week due to the fact that the Cleveland Indians are, as of the afternoon of June 30, in first place and in the middle of a 12-game winning streak.

Unfortunately, the Browns will likely serve as a return from the clouds back down to earth for those who passionately follow Cleveland’s pro teams.

For Cleveland fans who wish to continue living the dream for as long as possible and who are able to make a quick trek to Las Vegas, though, there are worse ways to blow $100 than putting a cheeky bet on the Browns. Fireworks disappear seconds after you light them. You can buy a meal worth $100 at any point. For whatever reasons, the sports fates are smiling down on the city of Cleveland, if only for a few weeks.

If Leicester City can win the Premier League at 5000-to-1 odds, maybe the Browns making the playoffs isn’t all that crazy a notion.

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