The Cleveland Browns will host the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field to get the season started.
The Browns are almost a touchdown underdog, which isn’t very flattering for a team making its debut at home.
However, analyst Tony Rizzo believes the oddsmakers have it all wrong.
“Let me just state for the record: As it stands right now, I reserve the right to change my mind, Browns are going to beat the Bengals Sunday,” Rizzo said.
"The Browns are gonna beat the Bengals," – @TheRealTRizzo calls his shot.
Do you agree?
WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/XnmZnbzUWd pic.twitter.com/KfL2L30PSS
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 2, 2025
Plenty of people may not agree with Rizzo, but there are reasons for hope.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has a losing record against the Browns, even after winning both meetings last season.
Additionally, the Bengals have a history of slow starts under head coach Zac Taylor, and although he vowed to make sure it’s different this year, they may not be fully prepared.
Divisional games are always a toss-up, and the field is level at the start of the season.
The Browns should be extremely motivated to prove everybody wrong.
They should have an elite defense, and while they may have plenty of questions on offense, the Bengals have had one of the worst defenses in the league for the past two years.
It won’t be easy, and there’s no such thing as completely containing Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
But the Browns seem to be more talented than sportsbooks and analysts give them credit for, and they look ready to make some noise, starting in Week 1.
NEXT: Insider Predicts How Many Games Browns Will Win This Season
