Lions Favored at Home vs Browns

The Detroit Lions head into Week 4 at home against the Cleveland Browns after a statement road win, with their offense and defense largely healthy but without three key special-teams contributors — Daniel Thomas, Zach Cunningham and Sione Vaki — and with depth options (Craig Reynolds, Ross Dwelley, Trevor Nowaske, Tom Kennedy and Loren Strickland) being considered. Cleveland arrives with the NFL’s top defense, particularly versus the run, and Lions OC John Morton’s claim that 'they haven’t seen a run game like ours' has prompted pushback from Browns leaders including Myles Garrett and DC Jim Schwartz. The game is framed as a strength-versus-strength matchup: Detroit ranks among the league leaders in rushing (Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery) while Cleveland has limited opponents through three weeks and will emphasize controlling the line of scrimmage and forcing takeaways. Detroit is a significant home favorite (widely reported around 8.5–10.5 points) after recent success at Ford Field, while Cleveland’s confidence is buoyed by an upset of Green Bay; the Browns’ path to victory hinges on stopping the run, containing rookie Quinshon Judkins and getting a cleaner performance from Joe Flacco. Coaches and staff on both sides expect a physical, close fight in which special-teams absences and matchup battles up front could prove decisive.