Buffalo Bills vs Cleveland Browns Picks and Prediction for Saturday August 22, 2026

The Buffalo Bills travel to Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, to face the Cleveland Browns in NFL preseason Week 2 on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, with NFL Network carrying the game nationally. Buffalo enters the matchup at 1-0 after beating Carolina 29-14, while Cleveland is 0-1 following a 34-10 loss to Chicago. Be ready for all the action with our free NFL predictions.

The betting market has moved since the earlier version of this preview. The latest widely listed line has Cleveland -3 with Buffalo +3, while the total has dropped to 36.5 points. Cleveland is approximately -160 on the moneyline, with Buffalo around +135. Because of that movement, we'll use the current numbers and make Buffalo +3 and Under 36.5 our selections.

Bills Look to Build on Impressive Opener

Buffalo opened the preseason with a convincing 29-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers in the first preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium. The Bills led 10-0 after the opening quarter, carried a 13-7 advantage into halftime and outscored Carolina 16-7 after the break. Buffalo's ability to maintain control through the different preseason personnel groups was one of the more encouraging elements of the performance.

Josh Allen completed 9 of 11 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown during his preseason appearance. Buffalo then continued to move the football after its starting quarterback departed. The Bills ultimately received rushing touchdowns from Ian Wheeler and Frank Gore Jr., giving the offense production from different parts of the depth chart rather than depending entirely upon the starters.

The Bills' Week 1 performance is particularly useful when handicapping the preseason because Buffalo showed it could continue producing after the starters left the field. The Bills scored in every quarter and finished with 29 points. Buffalo now faces a Cleveland team that surrendered 34 unanswered points after taking an early 10-0 advantage against Chicago, so Buffalo's ability to maintain offensive competence deeper into the game could become significant.

Browns Need a Better Performance After Week 1 Collapse

Cleveland's preseason opener couldn't have started much better, but it quickly unraveled. The Browns jumped ahead of Chicago 10-0 before allowing 34 unanswered points in a 34-10 defeat. Cleveland was held scoreless over its final nine possessions, which is a major concern entering Week 2 because preseason games are often decided by which team's second- and third-unit offenses can continue sustaining drives after the starters leave.

The Browns rotated Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards without a touchdown or interception, while Sanders finished 6 of 11 for 79 yards with an interception. Gabriel went 5 of 8 for 23 yards with an interception. Collectively, Cleveland's quarterbacks completed 22 of 34 passes for 228 yards, but the Browns threw two interceptions and struggled to turn their passing production into points. Sanders is expected to start against Buffalo and play the first half, with Watson scheduled to handle the second half.

Cleveland's early success demonstrated that there are positives to build upon, but its inability to score over the final nine possessions and the two interceptions make the offense difficult to trust as a favorite. The Browns should be motivated to produce a cleaner performance in their home preseason opener, and the planned quarterback rotation gives the coaching staff another opportunity to evaluate its competition. However, Buffalo showed considerably more consistency across four quarters in Week 1.

Buffalo Bills vs Cleveland Browns Picks and Prediction

Pick: Buffalo Bills +3

The pick is Buffalo +3. Cleveland has the home-field advantage and should be better after its poor finish against Chicago, but Buffalo displayed the more dependable preseason depth in Week 1, scoring in every quarter and getting offensive production after its starters exited. Cleveland's 10-0 start against Chicago was encouraging, but being outscored 34-0 the rest of the way is difficult to overlook. Getting a full field goal with the team that showed better four-quarter continuity makes Buffalo +3 the preferred side.

Pick: Under 36.5

The total pick is Under 36.5. Cleveland went scoreless over its final nine possessions against Chicago and produced only 10 points despite generating some early offensive momentum. Buffalo was much more productive in its opener, but asking the Bills to approach 29 points again on the road is aggressive. With Cleveland likely emphasizing ball security after throwing two interceptions and both coaching staffs continuing to evaluate reserve personnel, Under 36.5 is the preferred total despite the significant adjustment downward from the earlier 39.5 number.

Prediction: Buffalo Bills 20, Cleveland Browns 16