As we eagerly await for Thursday, when the Browns’ 2026 NFL schedule is officially unveiled, we want to take a quick look at the Browns’ opponents and try to project how many wins Cleveland can have this season. We need some type of number to use as a baseline, so I’m going off of FanDuel Sportsbook, which is giving the Browns +125 odds to win 7 games or more in 2026, and +1600 odds of winning the AFC North.
We already know the Browns have the easiest strength of schedule in 2026, so that certainly
bodes well for them. They have also made significant changes by hiring Todd Monken as their new head coach, revamping the entire offensive line, and drafting two wide receivers early in the draft. Defensively, they are essentially running it back, minus Jim Schwartz.
After their 11-win season in 2023, the Browns have had 3 wins in 2024 and 5 wins in 2025. How can they get to at least 7 wins in 2026? Let’s take a look at the Browns’ opponents again:
Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Road: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and New York Jets.
Most Likely Win
What game can we automatically put in the bag for Cleveland? I’d have to go with the Las Vegas Raiders. Even though they selected Fernando Mendoza first overall, that team was a complete mess last year, to the point where even the Browns blew them out with relative ease.
Division Success
Cleveland closed last season with wins over the Steelers and Bengals. No matter the season, Cleveland is usually still good for a minimum of two victories within the AFC North. That puts the Browns at three wins so far.
The Other Bottom Teams
Cleveland also faces the Jets, Titans, and Giants, teams that finished with 4 or fewer wins in 2025 and last in their division. That doesn’t mean those games are free passes, of course — after all, Cleveland expected to beat the Jets and Titans last year, and proceeded to lose to the Jets 27-20 and then lose to the Titans 31-29. All three of those games are also on the road. Nonetheless, if we’re trying to start with a cleaner slate and expect the Browns to be a more stable team this year, then let’s give the Browns a victory in two of these three games, bumping them to five wins so far.
The Rest
Cleveland’s defense can hang with anyone, such as when they upset the Green Bay Packers last year. The remaining teams on Cleveland’s schedule include the Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Falcons, Panthers, Saints, and Buccaneers. Circle those last four teams, who are all in the NFC South. Each of them finished with a sub-.500 record last year. The Colts collapsed late in the year, and the Texans went on an incredible defensive run to finish the year. You also have the Jaguars, who the Browns seem to do well with defending Trevor Lawrence. Of those seven games, I’d pen the Browns in for at least three victories, which would get them to eight wins and the over on 6.5 wins.
What about you, Browns fans? If you play the opponents game for Cleveland, which side of the bet on wins would you take?
