The Browns and Steelers will have an additional opponent when Week 3 of the regular season kicks off on Thursday night. Heavy wind is expected throughout the game, which will be played inside Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium.
Winds are expected to move around 20 miles per hour for the entire game. The temperature will be a very cool 59 degrees at kick-off, and not expected to drop more than 1-2 degrees for the rest of the evening. Although no rain is expected, Cleveland was hit with heavy rainfall earlier in the day.
The weather could be an advantage for the Browns, who enter the game with the NFL’s highest-ranked rushing offense and fourth-ranked running defense. Nick Chubb rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns in Cleveland’s first two games, with Kareem Hunt contributing 104 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
Cleveland will be shorthanded on defense, however, as Jadeveon Clowney is injured. The Steelers, who rushed for just 166 yards in the first two games of the season, hope to replicate the success they had against the Browns on the field in 2021. Steelers running back Najee Harris rushed for 279 yards and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s two wins. Cleveland last season.
Cleveland is currently a 4.5-point favorite for Thursday’s game, with an over/under of 38 points, according to Caesars Sportsbook. Both teams are 1-1 and 0-2 ATS in two games.